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THE GRAY WHALE 
FLAGSHIP 


Submarine Chums Series 

BY SHERWOOD DOWLING 

The Cruise of the Gray Whale 
The Gray Whale — Warship 
The Gray Whale — Flagship 

^rice 50 cents net each 

D. APPLETON & COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS /. /. NEW YORK 


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*44 




“ ‘ Give it to him,’ Harry cried.” 


[Page 151.] 






SUBMARINE CHUMS 


THE GRAY WHALE 
FLAGSHIP 


SHERWOOD DOWLING 

AUTHOR OF “THE CRUISE OF THE GRAY WHALE/J 
AND “the gray whale — WARSHIP*! 



FRONTISPIECE 


NEW YORK AND LONDON 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 
1915 


COPYRIGHT, IpIS, BY 

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 



Printed in the United States of America 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER page 

I. The Chums Enter Business • . . . i 

II. The Company Creeps 15 

III. Two Visitors 31 

rV. A Visit to Great Meadow 48 

V. A Flash of Light 61 

VI. The Discovery 84 

VII. Harry^s False Move 

VIII. The Boat That Passed 112 

IX. Into Trouble 130 

X. A Disastrous Chase 146 

XI. Mr. Hinkelstedt Explains 161 

XII. The Surrender 176 


» 


THE GRAY WHALE — 
FLAGSHIP 




CHAPTER I 

THE CHUMS ENTER BUSINESS 

T he Shelter Cove Navy Yard was 
peaceful and quiet to-day. Out of 
the water the Gray Whale and the 
Little Giant, roughly built submarines, 
bobbed sleepily with the tide. Ashore, in 
front of a weather-beaten shack. Admiral Bob 
Drake hobnobbed with his crew. 

Suddenly Bob plucked his dollar watch 
from his pocket. “Minute of nine,” he said. 

There was a scurrying. Arthur Farrant, 
more familiarly known as “Red,” ran to the 
sapling flagpole and seized the halyards. Cap- 
tain Danny Dugan, of the Little Giant, stood 
stiffly beside him. Ned Perry and Harry 
King, of the Gray Whale, and Frank Smith, 


1 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


of the Little Giant, lined up at attention fac- 
ing the pole. 

“Nine o’clock,” called Admiral Bob. 

“Raise colors,” called Captain Danny. 

Farrant pulled the halyards, and a small 
American flag slowly fluttered to the top of 
the pole. Perry, King and Smith raised their 
hands to their caps in salute. 

Another moment and the halyards had been 
lashed. All at once the stiffness went out of 
the boys. They broke from their stations. 
But now, instead of returning to the shack, 
they went down to the water’s edge, where 
rowboats were beached. They entered these 
flat-bottoms — Harry King said that they “em- 
barked” — and rowed out to where the sub- 
marines bobbed. Bob, Harry and Perry en- 
tered the Gray Whale. Danny, Farrant and 
Smith boarded the Little Giant. A strip of 
red bunting was run up on a short staff for- 
ward on the Gray Whale. It was the Ad- 
miral’s flag. And a moment later she brought 


THE CHUMS ENTER BUSINESS 


up her anchor and made way slowly toward 
the inlet that led out to the broad bosom of 
Little Giant Creek. The Little Giant fol- 
lowed. 

Never did these boys start their day’s play 
without a salute to the colors. They knew 
that the flag should go up at sunrise. But as 
they seldom camped overnight at the shack a 
sunrise raising was impossible. So they had 
ruled that each morning at nine o’clock the 
colors should go up. After that they could 
fish and cruise as much as they liked. 

Just now they were after fish for the noon- 
day meal. In the past they had been con- 
tent to bait for the big fresh water catfish that 
they had found in the Creek. But the Creek 
had been stocked with small-mouthed bass the 
year before, and now only bass interested 
them. 

They had caught a few each day. They 
were not satisfied. They had an idea that 
there were places on the Creek where the bass 


3 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


fishing ought to be better than a few a day. 
Not that they were fishing hogs. They did 
not kill for the mere love of killing. But 
when they went out to fish for a meal, they 
wanted to get that meal as soon as possible. 
Then they were free for other sport. 

Day by day they had tried the likely places, 
and had kept a scrupulous record of results. 
To-day they were to go farther up the Creek 
than they had ever been before. 

Keeping on the surface, the submarines 
journeyed in single file. Finally the anchors 
were let go. The boats slowly swung around 
with the tide. There was just the proper 
length of water between them. 

Harry King poked a grinning face up 
through the Gray Whalers hatch. “ How’s 
that for shipshape?” he demanded. 

Farrant, on the Little Giant, did not grin. 
Farrant was a serious boy, even in his play. 
He saluted gravely. ‘‘Captain Dugan’s com- 
pliments, and can he start to fish?” 


4 


THE CHUMS ENTER BUSINESS 


Harry poked his head down the hatch. 
‘‘ How about fishing, Bob?” he called. His 
head reappeared. “The Admiral says to go 
to it,” he reported. Harry had a vast respect 
for naval etiquette when it came to flags 
and maneuvers, but he was too breezy 
a youngster to pay much attention to his 
language. 

Danny Dugan, with a fly-rod, had bobbed 
up from the Little Gianfs hatch. These boys 
had no artificial flies. They had to depend on 
live bait. Danny ran a hook carefully into 
the mouth of a killie and out through its gills. 
Gently he lowered the line into the water. It 
floated off, its gay little bob dancing in the 
morning sunlight. 

Admiral Bob came up from the hold of 
the Gray Whale and watched with the others. 
They always timed the first fish. Once, lower 
down, the first catch had been struck five 
minutes after a line went over. 

‘^One minute,” said Bob. 


5 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


“ I’d like to see some quick action,” Danny 
grumbled. 

Then Bob gave a sudden quiver. 

“ There he is,” Harry whispered. “ There’s 
your quick action.” 

Danny Dugan, wise little angler, did not 
strike at once. The fish, he could have told 
you, was only mouthing the bait. He would 
run off a bit, and when he did strike in earnest 
the bob would give a sudden downward 
dart. 

So Danny gave him a dozen feet of line. 
And then the bob jumped, and Danny jerked 
the line smartly. And at that instant a small 
hurricane in the shape of a fish broke from 
the water, swirled up into the sunlight, and 
flopped back into the stream. 

“Hooked!” cried Harry. “What’s the time. 
Bob?” 

“Two minutes fifteen seconds,” Bob Drake 
answered. 

Slowly and carefully Danny played the 
6 


THE CHUMS ENTER BUSINESS 


fish. At last it came into the boat, its strength 
gone. They looked at it admiringly. 

‘‘Half a pound,” said Danny proudly. 

“All of that,” Bob agreed. 

Harry scampered into the hold of the Gray 
Whale.. “Where’s my tackle?” he shouted. 
“I want some of that. Only two minutes and 
fifteen seconds, eh?” 

Five minutes later they were all fishing, 
spread out so that their lines would not snarl. 
An hour later they had fish enough for the 
meal. 

“Thunder!” breathed Harry. “If they 
bite that way at half-past nine in the morning, 
how would they bite right after sunrise?” 

That question was too much for any of the 
boys. Only one thing were they sure of — 
they had found the fishing place for which 
they had been looking. On their private map 
of the Creek they marked its location, and 
named it Bass End, because it marked the end 
of their search for bass. 


7 


GRAY^ WHALE— FLAGSHIP 

In the days that followed the fish continued 
to bite eagerly at the place. But after a time 
all three of the boys grew weary. When 
Danny Dugan had first built the Little Giant 
and had contested with the Gray Whale for 
control of the Creek, the boyish warfare had 
kept their days full of excitement.* Now 
there was no war and only one fleet, and so 
they yearned for something to turn up. Even 
a visit to Mr. Hinkelstedt, the old boat re- 
pairer, had ceased to be an adventure. For 
Mr. Hinkelstedt had told all his adventures, 
not once but many times, and they knew every 
foot and corner of his dusty, fascinating 
workshop. 

They discussed the situation as they cooked 
their fish each noon. How could they stir up 
some excitement? Finally the day came when 
Frank Smith did not appear to help take the 
Little Giant from the Hinkelstedt float to the 
Cove, and next day, after flag-raising, Harry 

*See “The Gray Whale — Warship.” 

8 


THE CHUMS ENTER BUSINESS 

yawned and said he’d lounge about the shack, 
and wouldn’t go after bass. 

‘‘ That settles it,” said Danny. “We must 
get some interest into things, or this crowd 
will break up. Smith stays away and Harry 
yawns.” 

Bob nodded. “ What can we do?” 

There was no answer. 

“ Look here,” Harry cried suddenly, “ let’s 
take the boats back to the Hinkelstedt float. 
Then we’ll scatter. Each fellow must think 
of some adventure. And to-morrow we’ll 
come back and see who has the best plan.” 

They rowed out to the submarines. An 
hour later the boats were tied up and they had 
separated. 

Next morning they met again. After the 
flag was raised they sat about outside the 
shack. Bob Drake took charge. 

“ I have thought of nothing,” he said 
frankly. “How about you, Harry?” 

“ Nix.” 


9 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 




Perry?” 

‘‘Nothing.” 

“ Farrant?” 

“Same here.” 

“Smith?” 

“IVe thought so much I have a headache,” 
the boy answered. “And I haven’t any kind 
of a plan.” 

“Dugan?” 

“I have something,” said the Little Giant^s 
captain. “It may not sound good to you fel- 
lows.” 

“Tell us,” Harry called eagerly. 

“Well, I thought that if we could find some 
way to have a lot of fun, and at the same time 
make some money, we’d be killing two birds 
with the one stone. How about that?” 

“Right-0 !” cried Smith. “What else, Cap- 
tain?” 

“I thought we could go into business.” 

Harry’s face lost its eagerness. “Oh, that 
settles it. I want some excitement, but I don’t 


lO 


THE CHUMS ENTER BUSINESS 


want to desert the Gray Whale. How can we 
go into business? We’d have to have money 
to start, and we’d have to go on shore.” 

‘‘We wouldn’t,” said Danny. 

Harry jumped up. “Not have to leave the 
boats? Go into business with them?” 

“Yes.” 

“How?” 

“We could take fellows down on sub- 
marine rides and charge so much a ride, 
couldn’t we?” 

They all jumped up at that. Harry started 
to cheer. Could they? Of course they could! 
With characteristic impulsiveness he took 
charge of the affair. 

“How much a ride?” he demanded. 

Danny hesitated. “Oh, I thought maybe 
ten cents ” 

“Ten cents it is,” Harry cried. “That 
much is settled. Now, how many minutes 
would we keep them under? And how 
many passengers at each trip?” 


II 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Bob answered. “Only one,” he said de- 
cisively. “We can watch one fellow. Take 
down two, and one of them would monkey 
with the machinery.” 

“All right,” Harry answered regretfully. 
“One goes. If we took down two it would be 
twenty cents a trip, wouldn’t it?” 

Bob laughed. “No arguing, Harry. One 
passenger is plenty. How many minutes, 
Danny?” 

“We ought to give them ten minutes for 
their ten cents,” Danny said. “Ten minutes 
will seem a long time to them, because most 
of our passengers will be small boys, and 
they’ll be scared under water.” 

“How many of the boats would we use?” 
Harry demanded. “One or both?” 

“Both,” Danny said. 

“Thunder!” cried Harry. “If each boat 
gets four passengers an hour, together we’ll 
make eight dollars a day — that is, if we work 
ten hours a day. That’s forty-eight dollars 


12 


THE CHUMS ENTER BUSINESS 


a week. Before vacation ends we would 
have ” 

‘‘Sit on him, somebody,” Bob called. 

Farrant performed the tasL Harry grinned 
at them and told them they’d never be rich, 
because they had no imaginations. After a 
moment Farrant released him. He brushed 
his clothing and stared at Danny. 

“When could we start?” he asked seriously. 

“This is Thursday. We could start Mon- 
day, couldn’t we?” 

“Of course we could,” Harry agreed. He 
scratched his head. “How are we going to 
let people know that we’re in business?” 

“Advertise,” said Bob. 

Harry blinked. “Thunder!” he said. 
“This is getting to be like a real company, isn’t 
it?” 

“It is a real company,” said Danny. “The 
Submarine Excursion Company. How is 
that for a name?” 

How was it? It was every bit as good as 


13 


GRAY WKALE— FLAGSHIP 


the idea. There would be no fishing or cruis- 
ing to-day. There was work for them to do. 
They had to see that the Submarine Excur- 
sion Company, of which they were all stock- 
holders and members, got off to a fine, 
healthy, running start. 

“No more fooling,” Harry said. 'T’m a 
captain of industry. Let’s go down and talk 
things over with Mr. Hinkelstedt.” 


CHAPTER II 


THE COMPANY CREEPS 

T hey brought the Gray Whale and 
the Little Giant down to Mr. Hin- 
kelstedt’s float. They tied up the 
boats and descended on the workshop. The 
old builder, working on the refractory engine 
of a motor boat, dropped his tools, wiped his 
spectacles and stared at them. 

‘Well?” he demanded. ‘What now is in 
the wind?” 

“We have formed a company,” Harry said 
eagerly. 

“ For what? To make mischiefs?” 

Harry grinned. “To make money,” he 
said. “We’re going to take passengers in the 
submarines.” 


IS 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Mr. Hinkelstedt did not try to conceal his 
interest They told him the idea behind the 
Submarine Excursion Company. 

‘‘How about ten cents for ten minutes?” 
Danny Dugan demanded. “Is that too 
much?” 

“It is very cheap,” said the builder. 
“Down at Coney Island you would pay 
twenty-five cents to ride in a submarine.” 

“But how about the boats?” Danny insisted. 
“Are they all right? We want to look classy, 
you know.” 

Mr. Hinkelstedt went down to the end of 
the float and inspected the inside of the crafts. 

“You can make many changes,” he said. 
“You could paint the inside some dark color.” 

“Mahogany?” Danny asked. 

“Mahogany, or walnut, or Flemish oak,” 
the old builder answered. “Then you add var- 
nish, and you paint white the woodwork. And 
when the candles are lighted she will look 
all polished up and nice inside.” 

i6 


THE COMPANY CREEPS 


.Harry danced on one leg. ‘‘Yah!” he 
yelled. “There’s style for you.” 

“And you could have a little cushioned seat 
for the passenger, maybe,” Mr Hinkelstedt 
added. 

Danny nodded thoughtfully. “Yes; we 
could get that.” 

“And some strong wires over the lookouts.” 

“What for?” Harry asked. 

“So that your passenger will feel safe. 
He will not be always thinking what will 
happen if something hits the glass and breaks 
it and makes water come into the boat.” 

“I’ll put wire on the Gray Whale,'* Bob 
said. 

But Danny shook his head. “Not for mine. 
There isn’t one chance in a million that any- 
thing will ever hit the glass. Besides, the 
wire might interfere with me seeing where 
I’m going.” 

That afternoon they took stock of how 
much money they could invest in the enter- 

17 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


prise. They found, after pooling their for- 
tunes, that they had four dollars and eighty 
cents. 

“Will that be enough?” Harry asked 
anxiously. 

“It will have to be enough,” Danny 
answered. 

They paraded off in a body and journeyed 
to the village general store. After much dis- 
cussion they selected mahogany as the pre- 
vailing color. Instead of paint they econo- 
mized and bought wood stain. Two half-gal- 
lon cans of prepared stain cost them one dollar 
and forty cents. There wasn’t much trim, so 
a forty-cent can of white paint was thought to 
be enough. Varnish cost them eighty cents. 

“How much have we spent?” Harry asked 
anxiously. 

“Two-sixty,” Danny told him. “We won’t 
have to buy brushes. I have some home, and 
we can soak them in turpentine.” 

They paraded out of the store with their 

i8 


THE COMPANY CREEPS 


purchases. They had decided that the sub- 
marines would leave on their trips from the 
float in front of Danny Dugan’s house. Mr. 
Hinkelstedt’s float was across the Creek, and 
had they wanted to use that as a base they 
would have had to ferry prospective cus- 
tomers across in a rowboat, and after the sub- 
marine trip ferry them back. 

So they took the paint to the Dugan float. 
The Gray Whale and the Little Giant were 
brought across from Mr. Hinkelstedt’s. 

‘^Here,” said Danny, ‘‘is half a gallon of 
wood stain. You fellows on the Gray Whale 
want to watch out and not use more than half 
the varnish or the white paint.” 

“Oh, we’ll watch out,” said Harry. 

Danny stared at him. “Guess I’ll divide 
the varnish and white before we start,” he 
said thoughtfully. 

That afternoon they cleaned all the wood- 
work inside the boats. At the end of the day 
Bob called a conference. 

19 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘‘The mahogany goes on to-morrow,” he 
said. “This boat is in water, and the stain 
won’t dry any too quickly. Then we must 
figure on a coat of varnish. If we have damp 
weather the varnish will be a long time dry- 
ing out. How can we be sure that we’ll start 
Monday?” 

Here was a stumbling block that they had 
not foreseen. Finally Danny, with a shake of 
his head, said that they ought to postpone the 
opening until Wednesday. 

Harry sighed. “All right,” he said; “but 
we’ll be losing money.” 

Next morning, when they assembled to be- 
gin their painting job. Bob had searched out 
another thought. 

“How are we going to let people know that 
we’re in business?” he demanded. “We can’t 
tell everybody.” 

“We could advertise,” Farrant said. He 
seldom took part in the deliberations. When 
he did so, what he said was right to the point. 


20 


THE COMPANY CREEPS 


“You said that day at the Cove that we 
would advertise.” 

“Real advertising?” Harry demanded. 
“Like the general store, and the fish market, 
and the dry goods store?” 

Farrant nodded. 

“In the Herald?^* Harry asked. The Her- 
ald was the weekly newspaper of the 
village. 

Once more Farrant nodded. Harry 
promptly pulled some note paper from his 
pocket. 

“Who has a pencil? I can write a dandy 
ad.” 

But Bob said dryly that they’d let somebody 
at the Herald office write the advertisement. 
They dropped their paint brushes and jour- 
neyed into the business district of the village 
until they came to the newspaper office. 

A young woman was in charge. They took 
off their caps and filed through the door. 

“We want to advertise,” said Danny. 


21 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


“Is it a ‘lost’ ad?” the woman asked. “Some- 
thing you have lost?” 

“We want to advertise our business.” 

At that the woman stared at him in a sur- 
prised way. Harry took a copy of the Herald 
from her desk and turned to the dry goods 
store ad. 

“We want about so much space,” he said. 

“For one issue?” 

“Yes.” 

The woman was still more surprised. That 
will cost three dollars.” What business had 
six boys, she wondered, that was worth three 
dollars of advertising. 

But Harry had now dropped back in con- 
fusion. Three dollars was more money than 
the company possessed, and besides, it was 
more than he cared to spend even if they had 
their original four dollars and eighty cents. 
Danny Dugan went to the firing line. 

“We can’t spend more than one dollar,” he 
explained. 


22 


THE COMPANY CREEPS 

The woman laid down her pencil. ‘^What 
is it you want to advertise?” she asked. 

They told her the story of the Submarine 
Excursion Company. At the finish of the 
tale the woman smiled slightly. 

“I would use a business local,” she advised. 

‘‘How much does that cost?” Harry asked. 

“Fifty cents.” 

“And how many words?” 

“Twenty-five.” 

The boys retired to a corner of the room. 
Harry, again insisting that only he could 
write a good ad, took charge. Fifteen min- 
utes later he emerged with this result: 

The chance of a lifetime. See the won- 
ders of nature. Cruise in a submarine. 

Send the children. Ten cents a sail. 
Dugan’s float, Creek road. 

“How’s that?” Harry asked triumphantly. 

“It doesn’t say when we start,” Danny 
Dugan commented. 


23 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


“And it doesn’t give the name of the com- 
pany,” Bob added. “You must give the name 
of the company. It’s business. How many 
words have you used?” 

“Twenty-five,” said Harry defiantly, “and 
you can’t chop out a word without spoiling 
things.” 

“Maybe we could get extra words at two 
cents each,” Far rant suggested. 

The young woman said they could. Harry 
erased the last line, and wrote : 

Daily after next Wednesday. Sub- 
marine Excursion Company, Dugan’s 
float, Creek road. 

They paid sixty-four cents and were assured 
that their advertisement would run in next 
day’s issue. They had ninety-six cents left in 
their fund. 

“That’s a swell ad,” Harry gurgled. “That 
ought to bring us all the business we can 
handle.” 


24 


THE COMPANY CREEPS 


‘^Maybe,” said Farrant. 

That day the two boats got flowing coats of 
mahogany stain. Saturday morning the var- 
nish was to go on. But first the boys had to 
get copies of the Herald, There, among other 
business locals was their ad. 

Harry clipped the ad and stuck it in his 
pocket. He was quite proud of his achieve- 
ment. Later he pulled Bob and Danny aside. 

^^Look here,’’ he said uneasily. ‘‘This ad 
says ‘Daily after next Wednesday.’ We’re not 
going to take passengers on Sundays, are we?” 

“We are not,” Bob answered. 

“Well, how about that ad saying daily?” 

They turned this over in their minds as they 
applied the varnish. At noon Danny sug- 
gested a plan. 

“I have some old canvas,” he said. “Sup- 
pose we wash out a piece, stretch it between 
two posts facing the road, and paint a notice 
on that.” 

“Great!” cried Harry. “I’ll paint it.” 


25 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘^Farrant will paint it,” said Danny. “He 
can do pretty good lettering.” 

The sign, however, was not painted that 
day. Over Sunday the boys heard enough 
gossip to know that their ad had started a lot 
of talk. Monday they put on the white trim. 
After that dried they lighted the candles and 
surveyed their work. 

The varnished mahogany sparkled with 
richness and color. The white trim showed 
up with bright cleanliness. While they were 
admiring, Danny came down to the boats with 
two small cushioned seats. 

“Say,” said Harry softly, “she’s almost too 
pretty to let every Tom and Jerry ride in her, 
isn’t she?” 

“She isn’t,” said Farrant; “not at ten cents 
a ride.” 

Next day was Tuesday. During the morn- 
ing Bob nailed screen wire to protect his 
lookouts, forward and aft. Danny Dugan still 
refused to protect his glass. 

26 


THE COMPANY CREEPS 

They washed out a square of canvas, going 
at the job with scrubbing brushes and with 
soap. Later they hung the stuff out in the 
sun to dry and bleach. And that afternoon 
they stretched the canvas and painted their 
sign. 

Danny had spoken truly. Farrant could do 
good lettering. The sign grew under his 
brush until at last it was finished. And when 

they backed off a dozen feet this is what they 
saw: 

THIS IS THE PLACE 

SHAKE HANDS WITH FATHER NEPTUNE 
SUBMARINE EXCURSION COMPANY 
DAILY EXCEPT SUNDAY 
10 CENTS A SAIL. 

“If that doesn’t fetch them,” Harry said 
positively, “nothing will.” 

“I wonder — ” said Bob. He paused and 
looked at Danny. 

“Shoot!” said the captain of the Little 
Giant. “What is it?” 


27 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘‘I wonder how it would go to set up our 
searchlight and play it on the sign? Every- 
body passing would see it. What’s the use of 
having a sign that’s useless half of every 
twenty-four hours?” 

“No use,” said Harry. “Shall we get the 
light, Danny?” 

Danny nodded. “I’m going to sit out in 
the road to-night and watch it,” he grinned. 

“We’ll all sit out,” said Farrant. 

They rowed a flat-bottom up to Shelter 
Cove, took the light, and brought it down. 
They rigged it up fifteen feet from the sign. 
Danny filled it with oil. After that they scat- 
tered to their homes for supper. 

Shortly after dark they started the light. 
Its rays made the white canvas and the black 
lettering startlingly distinct in the night. 
They sat in the high grass by the creek and 
giggled when anybody stopped in the road. 
As almost everybody stopped, they were quite 
sure that they had made an advertising hit. 

28 


THE COMPANY CREEPS 


Not one of the boys slept well that night. 
All of them were out of bed long before their 
accustomed hours. Secretly five members of 
the company envied Danny. He lived right 
there. He could see each customer as he ap- 
proached. 

As Harry ate his breakfast he wondered 
how many ten-cent pieces the boats would take 
in that day. Sometimes he felt as though they 
were going to earn a lot of money, and at 
other times he had a fear that the venture 
would prove to be a failure. 

He left the house quite uncertain as to what 
he would find. He met Perry, and they 
whistled outside Bob’s house, and Bob came 
forth with his cap not yet set upon his head. A 
moment later they met Farrant. 

^Tine day/’ said the boy. “I was afraid it 
would rain. We’d have done no business.” 

Harry felt abashed. That was like Farrant, 
wasn’t it? The only one to think that the 
weather would affect business. 


29 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


They turned into a street that led directly 
to the creek road. Once they turned the next 
corner Danny’s float would be directly before 
them. What would they find? 

Unconsciously they slowed their steps as 
they came to the corner that would tell them 
of failure or success. Not a boy dared halt 
altogether. They kept on, ever slower. But 
even the slowest pace must eventually consume 
distance, and at last they came to the corner. 
They swung toward the float for a quick eager 
look. Nine small boys stood in line beside the 
canvas sign. 

“Hurrahl” cried Harry. ‘‘There’s ninety 
cents.” 


CHAPTER III 

XWO VISITORS 

H arry was mistaken, however, in his 
guess as to the amount of money the 
nine boys represented. Danny Du- 
gan had lined them up on the principle of 
first come, first sail. Eight of the youngsters, 
when the time came to produce the price of 
a trip, held out ten-cent pieces. The ninth 
boy had no money. He had come, he said, to 
see Jimmy sink in a boat. Jimmy grinned 
with the contentment of a very small boy 
who is going to have an experience and 
doesn’t care whether his chum has any 
money or not. 

So the ninth boy was weeded out. He 
looked so envious as Jimmy disappeared into 


31 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


the Little Giant that Harry was moved to 
take him aside. 

‘Tou wait here,” he ordered. ^‘Maybe 
you’ll get a sail.” 

So the little chap waited. Harry swung 
himself into the Gray Whale. 

^‘Come on,” he called. “Who’s first?” 

A boy came forward. He went into the 
submarine bravely enough; but when the trap 
came down and shut out the daylight, he be- 
gan to squirm. 

“Go up forward,” said Harry. “You’ll see 
the water.” 

“Up here,” Bob called from the lookout. 
“This way, sonny.” 

The boy went forward. He stood on the lit- 
tle bench, and his eyes were level with the 
lookout. The glass, only a few inches under 
water, made things visible. 

“Sink her,” Bob called. 

Perry threw the lever. The boat lurched 
and began to go down. The water at the 


32 


TWO VISITORS 


lookout darkened. The little passenger 
clutched at Bob and clung to him. 

^‘Are — are we under?” he asked. 

“We’re under,” said Bob. “Watch now, and 
you’ll see the water moving past the glass.” 

Some of the lad’s fright passed at the calm- 
ness of this larger boy. He watched, and 
gradually he became interested and his fright 
died altogether. He began to have a fine time 
staring at the lighted candles, at the propel- 
ler machinery, at the general shipshape ap- 
pearance of the craft. 

Perry was timing. “Five minutes,” he said. 

Bob had brought the Gray Whale straight 
out from shore. He swung her around and 
started her back over the same route. 

“Better look out here, sonny,” he said. 
“We’ll soon be going up to the surface.” 

The boy peered over his shoulder. After 
a while he heard a sound. He looked back to 
see pump handles being worked by Perry and 
by Harry. 


33 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


“Watch I” called Bob. “Watch out this 
way.” 

The lad brought his attention around to the 
glass. He saw the water lose its darkness. 
Then suddenly the trap was thrown back, and 
the sunlight came in. 

“That was fine, wasn’t it?” he asked Bob. 

Bob laughed and nodded. The Gray 
Whale was run alongside the float. The boy 
was helped out. 

“How was it?” yelled the waiting line. 

Then the Little Giant came in. She dis- 
charged a very much excited small passenger. 

“How did your boy like it?” Bob called to 
Danny. 

“He’ll be talking about that trip for a 
month,” Danny Dugan grinned. 

Meanwhile, Harry had joined the little 
chap who had waited on the float. The little 
fellow’s eyes were round with wonder. Had 
he seen the boats sink and come back? He 
had. Well, all he had to do was to tell every- 


TWO VISITORS 


body he met how wonderful was the sight. 
Would he do that? Of course he would. 

^‘All right,” said Harry. ‘‘You go and tell 
everybody, and this afternoon we’ll give you 
a ride.” 

‘‘For nothing?” the boy demanded. 

“For nothing,” said Harry. As the young- 
ster dashed off Harry muttered that there was 
another ten cents to be chalked up against ad- 
vertising expenses. 

At noon the submarines quit so that their 
crews could eat. One dollar and twenty cents 
had been earned. 

Fifty cents more came into the treasury 
that afternoon. The small boy that Harry had 
turned into an advertising agent appeared 
about three o’clock. He said that he had told 
thousands and thousands of persons about the 
boats that sank. Danny remarked dryly that 
there weren’t that many people in the village. 
Nevertheless, the small boy got his sail, and 
went whooping home to tell all about it. 


35 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


That evening Perry was elected treasurer. 
He said that he didn’t know anything about 
bookkeeping. 

“Shucks!” cried Harry. “When you pay 
out any money enter it on one page, and what 
we take in goes on another page. That’s sim- 
ple, isn’t it?” 

“Y — yes,” Perry answered weakly. 

“All right. Now on the spent page you 
mark like this: Taint, forty cents; varnish, 
eighty cents ; stain, one dollar and forty cents ; 
advertising, sixty-four cents.’ That makes 
how much?” 

“Three twenty-four,” said Perry. 

“There! You’re a fine bookkeeper. Now 
on the other page you start like this: ‘Cash 
on hand, one dollar and fifty-six cents; re- 
ceipts, first day, one dollar and seventy cents.’ 
See? We have three dollars and twenty-six 
already.” 

They separated that night with the under- 
standing that everybody was to be out early 
36 


TWO VISITORS 


next day to handle the crowd. All six of the 
boys were enthusiastic. Harry whispered that 
this beat hanging around Shelter Cove. 

“Maybe we’ll make enough money so that 
I can buy racing ice skates,” Farrant said 
hopefully. 

But next day it drizzled all morning. In 
the afternoon the sun came out. Half a dozen 
youngsters came to the float, and the net re- 
sult for the day was sixty cents. That night 
the company found that it had three dollars 
and eighty-six cents in the treasury. 

Friday brought eighty cents. Much was ex- 
pected of Saturday, but Saturday proved to 
be a big disappointment. It seemed that all 
the small boys went off to see the village base- 
ball team play a match game. The Submarine 
Excursion Company took in but forty cents. 
The books of Treasurer Perry showed a bal- 
ance on hand of five dollars and six cents. 

Harry was frankly disappointed. Over 
Sunday he moped. But Monday morning he 


37 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


had an inspiration, and instead of going down 
to the float, he went to the village playground. 
Mr. Young was the director, and Harry in- 
vited him to sail in the Gray Whale. 

^^Could you go now?” the boy asked, 
could go at noon,” said the man. 
have heard much talk about the boats.” 

‘‘Noon it is then,” said Harry. “I’ll be 
waiting for you.” 

Secretly Mr. Young wondered what was be- 
hind the invitation. He kept the appointment. 
Harry, while Perry and Bob looked on in per- 
plexity, explained the workings of the craft. 
Finally he nodded to Bob, and Bob gave the 
order to sink her. She went down gently. 
Mr. Young walked forward to the lookout. 

Twenty minutes later they had him on the 
surface. “Like it?” Harry asked. 

The man nodded. “It is quite wonderful 
for boys,” he said. “Do you think it is safe?” 

“Undoubtedly.” 

“Well, then — ” Harry coughed and wet 
38 


TWO VISITORS 


his lips. ‘‘Well, then, would you tell che boys; 
at the playground that — that ” 

Mr. Young laughed. So that was the rea- 
son he had been invited. 

“Of course I’ll tell them,” he said. “You’ll 
be a captain of industry some day, young 
man.” 

“I don’t doubt it,” Harry said modestly. 
“Thank you, Mr. Young.” 

After the director had departed, Bob and 
Perry fell upon their companion of the Gray 
Whale. Why hadn’t he told them? 

“Not much,” said Harry wisely. “If the 
^hing fell through I wasn’t going to have any- 
body laughing at me. Say, there’ll be a whole 
raft of kids here to-morrow.” 

Whatever the business might be next day, it 
was mighty poor to-day. Twenty cents had 
been the result of the morning’s work. When 
two hours of the afternoon passed without 
any more money in sight, Farrant suggested 
that they go fishing. They backed awa)r 


39 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


from the float, swung the noses of the boats 
around, and headed for the upwaters of 
the Creek. 

Bass End proved to be a healthy fishing 
place even in the middle of the day. Harry 
said wisely that this was the wrong time to 
fish and that they wouldn’t get anything, but 
they did boat five bass. These were taken to 
Shelter Cove. They had not been near the 
place for almost a week, and it looked rusty. 
But they soon had a fire going, and after a 
time the fish began to sizzle in the pan. For 
a while they forgot the excursion business en- 
tirely. Then Perry announced that they had 
five dollars and twenty-six cents in the treas- 
ury, and Harry made a wry face. 

‘‘Oh, well,” he said, “to-morrow ought to 
spin the wheels again.” 

True enough, next day there was a mild 
rush. At the end of the afternoon one dollar 
and twenty cents was turned over to Perry. 
They had now passed the six-dollar mark. 


40 


TWO VISITORS 


Wednesday saw another falling off, and 
Thursday was so poor that they guit work 
early and went fishing again. Danny Dugan 
and the crew of the Little Giant, elected to 
try for bass, but Harry and the Gray Whale 
went after crabs. Both were successful, with 
the result that there was a feast later at Shel- 
ter Cove. Perry announced that they had 
seven dollars and fifty-six cents. 

‘That’s too much money,” Danny Dugan 
objected. “What’s the use of having it lying 
around and doing nothing?” 

“What can we buy?” Harry asked. 

Danny didn’t know. But something ought 
to be bought, he insisted. Finally Perry sug- 
gested that they buy a small mirror, and some 
soap and towels. 

“We never get a chance to wash up when 
we leave here,” he complained. “I don’t like 
to go home with a dirty face and my hair 
running wild.” 

So it was decided that one dollar should be 
41 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


invested on behalf of cleanliness. The fund 
was reduced to six dollars and fifty-six cents. 

Next day was Friday. There was no rain 
during the morning, but the sky was threaten- 
ing, and not a boy appeared to shake hands 
with Father Neptune. Along about eleven 
o’clock two forms came within sight of the 
float. 

‘‘Hello!” cried Danny Dugan. “I wonder 
what these chaps want?” 

Harry stared. “One has a crutch. Know 
them, Danny?” 

“I know of them. They’re ‘Sling’ Duffy 
and Tommy Mason. Mason’s the fellow with 
one leg. Duffy is called ‘Sling’ because he 
throws stones at everybody he quarrels with. 
They’re bad eggs. Been in trouble two or 
three times.” 

“Where do they live?” Harry asked. 

“Over at Big Meadow.” 

Big Meadow was the next town — a quiet, 
sleepy, peaceful country hamlet. 


42 


TWO VISITORS 


‘Well,” said Harry, “they can’t want any- 
thing to do with us.” 

But the two older boys came directly across 
the float. Mason stumping along in the lead. 
He paused a few feet off and whispered to 
Duffy. 

“You kids want to make a dollar?” he de- 
manded suddenly. 

“How?” asked Danny Dugan. 

“Take us out in those boats. We’ll pay fifty 
cents each.” 

“I — I don’t know,” Danny hesitated. 

“Well,” cried Mason, “find out. I don’t 
want to stay here all day.” 

The six boys put their heads together. 
Perry wanted nothing to do with the stran- 
gers. But Harry did not want to lose that dol- 
lar. 

“They can’t cut up any monkey shines,” he 
argued. “We have three to their one. Take 
them on.” 

Harry prevailed. Mason and his crutch 


43 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


were helped into the Gray Whale. Duffy 
went aboard the Little Giant. 

‘^No sinking,” he said, ‘^^st take us up the 
creek. We want a sail. Don’t we, Tom?” 

‘‘That’s what,” said Mason. 

The two boats kept as close together as 
they dared. For all that the strangers said 
that they only wanted a sail, they kept a 
mighty sharp watch on the Creek. They asked 
innumerable questions about tide and cur- 
rents. The submarines passed Bass End and 
continued up the Creek. 

“I guess this is far enough,” said Duffy. 
“Swing around and let them drift.” 

“We’ll run aground,” Danny Dugan pro- 
tested. 

“You can start the engines if you get in too 
close,” Duffy cried. “Come on, now. No 
nonsense. I’m paying a dollar for this trip 
and I say let her drift.” 

“You haven’t paid anything yet,” said 
Danny. He saw that Farrant and Davis, his 


44 


TWO VISITORS 

crew, were ready for trouble. He felt a new 
courage to find that they were prepared to 
stand by him. 

Duffy handed over a one dollar bill. ‘^Now 
drift,” he said. 

So both the Gray Whale and the Little 
Giant were given to the current. Both boats 
swung in close to shore as they passed Bass 
End. 

‘^See that?” Duffy called. 

see,” said Mason. He seemed mighty 
well pleased about something. ‘‘How is the 
water here?” he asked Bob. “Salt or fresh?” 

“Pretty well fresh,” Bob answered; “sort 
of brackish.” 

“How’s the fishing here?” 

Bob hesitated. “Fair,” he said. 

The one-legged boy peered sharply at him. 
“Fair, eh? What runs there? Bass?” 

“Some,” answered the admiral of the sub- 
marine fleet. Mason laughed and leaned 
harder on his crutch. 


45 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


They came back at last to the float. There 
the visitors climbed out, and the crews of the 
submarines were not sorry to see them go. 

Harry walked with them out to the road. 
He wanted to make sure that Tommy Mason 
did not take a notion to stick his crutch 
through their canvas sign. When the stran- 
gers from Big Meadow were gone he came 
hurrying back. 

^^Mighty funny,” Harry said. ‘‘They 
laughed a lot.” 

“About what?” Bob asked. 

“About what you told them — that the fish- 
ing was only fair at Bass End. Think they’ll 
come over to fish there?” 

Bob shook his head uneasily. “I guess not. 
Why would they come all the way from Big 
Meadow to get five or six bass?” 

“Well,” said Harry, “this trip of theirs is 
something about fishing. I heard them say 
‘suckers.’ We have no suckers in Little Giant 
Creek, have we?” 


46 


TWO VISITORS 


Bob shook his head. 

“Maybe,” said Danny; “maybe we’re the 
suckers they’re after.” 

That thought was alarming. Even the fact 
that four little chaps appeared for rides and 
that the total receipts of the day were one dol- 
lar and forty cents did not entirely dispel the 
gloom. The Submarine Excursion Company 
wanted no trouble with fellows like Duffy or 
Mason. 


CHAPTER IV 


A VISIT TO GREAT MEADOW 

B y next morning, however, much of 
their fear had passed. What harm, 
they asked themselves, could any fel- 
lows do them? They plunged with renewed 
energy into the work of digging up traffic for 
the Submarine Excursion Company. 

Their efforts did not bring much in the way 
of results. They had figured that Saturdays 
would be their big days, but for the second 
time they were disappointed. Again the small 
boys of the village went off to a baseball game, 
and the net result of the day was forty cents. 
They now had seven dollars and thirty-six 
cents. 

Monday saw a distinct falling off. Thirty 
48 


A VISIT TO GREAT MEADOW 


cents was earned. Tuesday only two boys ap- 
peared with the necessary fare. That evening 
Harry insisted on a conference. 

‘Tifty cents in two days,” he complained. 
“It doesn’t pay to hang around this float for 
that. We’re missing a lot of good fishing and 
a lot of good times at Shelter Cove. Some- 
thing must be done.” 

“Why,” Danny said thoughtfully, “why 
can’t we run only during certain hours of the 
day?” 

Harry whistled. “That sounds good. Out 
with it, Danny.” 

“Well,” said the captain of the Little Giant, 
“why can’t we operate from two to four 
o’clock each afternoon except Mondays?” 

“Why not Mondays?” Bob demanded. 

“That’s the day the kids should get ten cents 
without much trouble,” Danny explained 
wisely. “Their fathers get paid on Saturday. 
That ought to make Monday the best day.” 

“What would be the Monday hours?” 


49 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 

^Trom one to six o’clock. How about 
that?” 

^^Look here,” Harry argued, “if the fathers 
get paid on Saturday, shouldn’t Saturday be 
our best day?” 

“It isn’t,” Danny answered. “The kids 
won’t pay ten cents to ride with us when they 
can see a baseball game for nothing. Mon- 
day from one to six and the other days from 
two to four. Yes?” 

One by one they agreed. Farrant went off 
for paint and a brush. 

“I’ll change that canvas sign,” he said. 

Next morning they went off to the cove 
with a clear conscience. They cleaned up 
around the shack, syckled the weeds that had 
come too close and washed their tin plates, 
their knives and forks and their cook pots. 

“Now,” said Harry, “for some bass. Who’s 
with me?” 

They all were with him. The submarines 
were run out through the cove inlet into the 


50 


A VISIT TO GREAT MEADOW 


sunlit Creek. Then up creek the boys went, 
laughing and singing, until they reached Bass 
End. 

Half an hour later Harry, from the Gray 
Whale, looked over at the Little Giant, 

^^Catching anything?” he asked. 

“Two,” Danny called. 

“One here,” Harry grumbled. “Poor, 
isn’t it?” 

It was the worst fishing they had yet had 
at the spot. After another half hour they de- 
cided that the chances for a bass dinner were 
decidedly slim. They came in close to the 
reeds, scalped more killies and went farther 
down for crabs. 

That afternoon three boys came out to ride 
under water. 

“Getting worse and worse,” said Harry. “I 
can see this company going out of business 
pretty soon.” 

Next day they went to Bass End again, 
fished for two hours and secured four fish. 


51 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 

“Guess we’ll have to crab,” Danny said at 
last. 

“No crabbing for me,” Harry protested. 
“Something is wrong here. I want to figure 
this thing out. The bass couldn’t have left 
the Creek. What’s happening to them?” 

Danny didn’t know. Neither did the oth- 
ers. The bass weren’t biting. That much 
was certain. 

“Maybe we’re not using the proper bait,” 
!Bob suggested. 

“All right,” Harry said. “To-morrow we’ll 
use about everything on the calendar.” 

So next morning he appeared with a variety 
of worms and an artificial frog as well. To 
make the test thorough Bob had brought a 
few of his father’s trout flies. Farrant had 
some grubs that he had found in the decayed 
trunk of a tree. 

“If this doesn’t fetch them,” Danny said 
wisely, “there’s no bass here.” 

Harry started with the artificial frog. A 


52 


A VISIT TO GREAT MEADOW 


half hour passed without a strike. Farrant 
tried his grubs with no success. Bob’s gaudy 
flies brought nothing. An hour later Harry 
reeled in his line and quit. 

^^Something has happened here,” he said. 
‘‘And what that something is I’m going to find 
out.” 

They brought the submarines back to Shel- 
ter Cove. Danny, with his head in his hands, 
stared long and thoughtfully across the cove. 

“I can’t figure out where anything could 
have happened,” he said at length. “I’ve 
heard old fishermen say that there are times 
no fish will bite. Maybe this is one of those 
times.” 

“Bosh!” said Harry. “Something has hap- 
pened, I tell you.” 

“But what?” 

“How do I know? We’ll have to watch and 
see.” 

Farrant, the practical, asked a straight to 
the point question. “What will we watch?” 

53 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Harry didn’t know. What could you watch 
when you didn’t know what was wrong? 

They went to the Dugan float early in the 
afternoon and prepared for business. But 
to-day not a boy with ten cents came near 
them. Two boys appeared who had five cents, 
and there were several with two cents and 
three cents. After they had departed Bob re- 
marked that twenty-two cents had gotten away 
from them. 

^^And it shouldn’t have got away,” re- 
marked Frank Smith, one of the Little Giant 
crew. 

Smith was a boy even more given to silence 
than Farrant. Now Danny looked at him 
thoughtfully. 

“Why not, Frank?” 

Smith, instead of answering, asked a ques- 
tion. “We charge ten cents for a ride, don’t 
we?” 

“Yes.” 

“And we stay down ten minutes. That’s a 


54 


A VISIT TO GREAT MEADOW 


cent a minute. Now, if a kid shows up with 
only five cents, what’s the use of letting that 
five cents get away from us? Take him down 
for five cents. Let’s do away with this ten 
cents a ride. Let’s charge a cent a minute.” 

“But,” Harry objected, “then the chap who 
has ten cents will take an eight cent ride and 
go away with two cents for candy.” 

“That won’t happen often,” Smith said 
stubbornly. “Anyway, we lost twenty-two 
cents to-day, and if we lose that much every 
day we’re out almost six dollars a month.” 

That was a new way of looking at the mat- 
ter. They agreed, after much thought, that 
the ten cents a sail price would have to go. 
Starting with to-morrow the price would be 
one cent a minute. 

Thursday and Friday the new scale worked 
very well. They took down eight boys for 
five minutes each, and nine passengers for 
three-minute trips. Ten boys went down for 
two minutes. A few very small chaps had 
55 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


pennies, but right there Harry balked. What 
was the use of selling a minute under water 
when it took three minutes to raise and lower 
the submarines? 

“Harry’s right this time,” said Bob. “Tell 
those little chaps to wait until they save an- 
other penny or two.” 

Friday night Perry reported nine dollars 
and eighty-seven cents in the treasury. 

Meanwhile the boys had tried for bass 
each day. They had caught three. From all 
parts of the Creek complaint was growing. 
The best fishermen in the village came home 
with empty hands. There was a belief that 
something was being emptied into the Creek 
that was poisoning the fish. 

Harry heard this talk. “There!” he cried 
triumphantly. “Didn’t I tell you something 
was wrong?” 

Danny shook his head. “I don’t take any 
stock in this stuff about poisoned water. 
Where would the poison come from? The 
56 


A VISIT TO GREAT MEADOW 


paper mills don’t dump their waste into the 
Big Giant any more. That’s why the bass 
were put in the Creek.” 

‘Well,” grumbled Harry, “you can’t tell 
me that something isn’t wrong.” 

Saturday promised to be another poor day 
for business, Danny turned the Little Giant 
over to Farrant and to Davis and went to 
Great Meadow on an errand for his father. 

“Watch out for ‘Sling’ Duffy and Tommy 
Mason,” Bob warned. 

“Shucks!” said Danny. “What would they 
do to me?” 

“Maybe they’d try to make you give them 
back their dollar,” Harry said wisely. 

At that Danny Dugan grinned. “Fat 
chance they’d have to get a dollar out of me. 
Well, don’t wreck the Little Giant while I’m 
gone.” 

Saturday proved to be a listless time for the 
Submarine Excursion Company. They sold 
two four-minute rides and one three-minute 


57 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


ride. Even among the smallest of their cus- 
tomers the novelty of riding in a submarine 
boat was wearing off. 

can see where this company hits the 
rocks pretty soon,” Harry said gloomily. 

“This thing couldn’t last forever,” Perry 
answered sensibly. “Anyhow, we’ve had our 
fun, and we have over ten dollars in the treas- 
ury, and we spent one dollar for the mirror 
and soap and towels.” 

“Harry wants excitement all the time,” 
Farrant smiled. 

Harry nodded. “Not excitement, but some- 
thing doing.” 

“Maybe you’ll get it,” said Bob quietly. 
“Here comes Danny Dugan on the run.” 

The captain of the Little Giant was gasp- 
ing when he reached the boats. 

“Guess what I saw in Great Meadow?” 
he cried breathlessly. 

Bob shook his head. “Don’t know, Danny, 
but it stirred you up.” 


58 


A VISIT TO GREAT MEADOW 


‘‘You bet it did. I saw bass.” 

Harry jumped up. “Our bass?” 

“Bass from Little Giant Creek. They were 
in a butcher shop. Thirty of them.” 

“Thirty?” cried Farrant in amazement. 
“Where did the butcher get thirty?” 

“He gets that many every day,” Danny ex- 
plained. “He had a sign in the window 
‘Fresh bass every day.’ He says he gets thirty 
or forty every morning.” 

“How do you know?” 

“I went in and talked to him. He told me 
they come from Little Giant Creek.” 

Harry whistled. “He must be some fisher- 
man.” 

“He doesn’t fish for them. He buys them.” 

“Who does he buy them from?” Harry de- 
manded. 

“From ‘Sling’ Duffy,” Danny Dugan an- 
swered. 

And at that a startled silence fell over the 
group. After a time Bob asked: 


59 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


^^Any of you seen Duffy or Tommy Mason 
fishing in the Creek?” 

One by one they shook their heads. 

‘^Then how does Duffy get thirty and forty 
bass a day?” 

“That,” said Harry, “is what this crowd 
must find out. And when we do find out 
we’ll come pretty close to knowing what it is 
that has put our bass fishing on the fritz.” 


CHAPTER V 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 

B ut though the chums racked their 
brains for several days they thought 
out nothing that even resembled a so- 
lution of the mystery. And while they 
thought and thought business grew steadily 
worse for the Submarine Excursion Company. 
The total earnings for four days were seventy 
cents. Perry reported that they had just 
squeezed past the eleven dollar mark. 

Harry returned to his grumbling. What 
was the use, he asked, of going on in this fash- 
ion? Why not quit? They had eleven dol- 
lars. Why not go back to Shelter Cove and 
get some fun out of life? They could spend 
what money was in the treasury, buy some 

6i 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


camping things and have a whale of a time. 

“Suppose we keep on with our Monday ex- 
cursions and drop everything else?” Danny 
asked. 

So they arranged the matter in that fash- 
ion. 

They bought a pan for frying griddle cakes. 
Then Farrant found a man who wanted to sell 
a second-hand phonograph and a big box of 
records for seven dollars. That afternoon the 
boys held an excited meeting, and from the 
conference Farrant emerged with the money 
necessary to make the purchase. Next day 
rowboats that plowed up and down Little Gi- 
ant Creek saw the smoke of a fire arising from 
Shelter Cove and heard the sound of a squeaky 
phonograph grinding forth its music. To the 
boys, however, that phonograph was perfect. 

They had more than three dollars left in 
the treasury. They bought additional mos- 
quito wire and nailed it over the two windows 
of the shack. They succeeded, after much la- 
62 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


bor, in building a screened door. This was 
swung into place. 

‘‘Now,’’ said Harry, “we’re as cosy as a frog 
in a pond.” 

Even Monday proved to be a bad day for 
them. Though it was the only day that the 
Submarine Excursion Company gave to com- 
merce, the returns were meager. Forty cents 
came to the purse of the company. 

“Let’s cut the whole game,” Harry argued. 
“Forty cents for five hours. Huh!” 

“We’ll wait and see how next Monday turns 
out,” Danny Dugan decreed. 

During that week they reached the Cove 
each morning before nine o’clock. One of 
their phonograph records was “The Star- 
Spangled Banner.” Every morning on the 
stroke of nine the flag went up, and as Farrant 
pulled the halyards Harry started the phono- 
graph. From the horn came the splendid, 
measured music of: “Oh, say, can you see by 

the dawn’s early light ” 

63 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Somehow, the ceremony never grew stale. 
Each morning the boys felt their spines stif- 
fen. 

But after the ceremony of flag raising was 
over they went at their play with a relish. 
From morning until night they cruised back 
and forth over the waters of the Creek. Every 
strange boat they saw was investigated. They 
fished, too, but with sorry success. The bass 
continued to be scarce. 

Though they did not mention “Sling” Duffy 
or Tommy Mason the crew knew that Bob and 
Danny kept the submarines cruising to see if 
either of these two boys appeared. But at no 
time did they see the lads from Great 
Meadow. Yet there was the fact that a Great 
Meadow butcher shop was receiving daily 
a load of bass, and the further fact that the 
bass fishing in the Creek had been spoiled. 

“Look here,” Harry said after they had kept 
up this cruising about for almost a week, “we 
haven’t seen either ‘Sling’ or Mason. How do 
64 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


we know that the butcher is still getting bass 
from them?” 

Danny nodded slowly. ‘T hadn’t thought 
of that. Suppose I go to Great Meadow to- 
morrow?” 

They decided that he should go. Perry, as 
treasurer, was ordered to advance his fare. 

Next morning Danny set forth. He re- 
turned shortly after noon. He dropped down 
alongside the hatch of the Gray Whale and 
fanned himself with his cap. 

^^How they get them,” he said, “is too much 
for me.” 

Harry straightened up. “You mean that 
butcher had bass?” 

“He surely had — about fifteen pounds. He 
said he gets them every day.” 

“From ^Sling’ Duffy?” 

“Yes.” 

Harry slumped down in his seat. “How 
does Duffy get them?” he said helplessly. 

That was the question. How did Duffy 

65 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


get them? They never saw him on the Creek. 

‘^Oh, rats 1” Perry cried. ‘T’ll bet he doesn’t 
get them from the Creek at all. He gets them 
some place else and says they’re from the Lit- 
tle Giant so that he can sell them.” 

^‘Then how do you account for bass fishing 
in the Creek going to smash?” Bob asked 
quietly. 

Perry gave up. The question was too big 
for him. 

“The only thing I can see to do,” Danny 
Dugan told them, “is to keep up our watch. 
If Duffy or Mason are about on the Creek 
sooner or later we’ll find them.” 

“But I don’t want to sit back and lose good 
fishing,” Harry cried. “I want to get at the 
bottom of this.” 

Danny grinned. “All right, go ahead. 
Where will you start?” 

“I’ll start by watching,” Harry grumbled, 
“just the same as the rest of you.” 

Monday came again, and brought them 
66 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


thirty cents. After the day was ended they 
stood awkwardly about the Dugan float. 
Perry jingled the thirty cents in the palm of 
one hand. Submarine excursions only one 
day a week, and only thirty cents at that! 

‘T move we break up the company and go 
out of business,” Harry said in a discouraged 
tone. 

^‘Here!” cried Farrant. 

‘‘Second the motion,” cried Davis. 

But Danny Dugan was not yet ready to 
quit. “Let’s try it another way,” he urged. 

Harry grunted. “And sit around here idle 
for hours?” 

“We won’t have to sit around idle at all. 
We won’t carry passengers at ten cents a ride. 
We’ll charter the boats for parties. They’ll 
have to engage us in advance. Then we’ll 
know just what engagements we have, and we 
won’t waste time loafing around for some- 
thing to turn up. How does that strike 
you?” 


67 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘‘How much for each party?” Harry asked 
cautiously. 

“Twenty-five cents a person.” 

Harry’s face fell. “Shucks! They won’t 
pay that.” 

Danny grinned. “Won’t they? Just take 
another think. This won’t be kid parties. 
Suppose six or eight men and women want to 
go some place some evening. They charter 
our two boats. We give them a submarine 
ride at night ” 

“Not for mine,” Perry cut in quickly. 

“Oh, wait until you hear me out,” Danny 
cried impatiently. “When the Gray Whale 
goes down the Little Giant follows in her 
wake and sees to it that she steers a correct 
course. Suppose the Gray Whale Is under. 
I’m in the Little Giant on the surface. I keep 
calling down the ventilators ‘Port’ or ‘Star- 
board,’ and Bob steers her accordingly. After 
he comes up I go down and he directs me. 
How’s that?” 


68 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


That was a whole lot better. 

‘And you think you can get a quarter a 
passenger?” Harry demanded. 

‘All of that,” Danny answered. 

Harry gave a yell. “All right, Danny; I 
take back what I said. The Submarine Ex- 
cursion Company is still in the ring.” 

Once more Far rant reconstructed the sign. 
This time it read: 

SUBMARINE BOATS TO CHARTER 
FOR PRIVATE PARTIES 
DAY OR NIGHT 

TWENTY-FIVE CENTS A PERSON 
SUBMARINE EXCURSION CO. 

“It doesn’t say ‘Dugan’s float,’ ” Harry 
commented. 

“Doesn’t have to,” said Danny. “Every- 
body knows by this time where to find Dugan’s 
float.” 

Farrant grinned. “We’ve made Dugan’s 
float famous,” he said. 

They went back to their patient game of 
69 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


watching the Creek for Dufify or Mason. 
Once more, however, they were disappointed. 
These boys did not put in an appearance. And 
the bass continued to be shy of the hook. 

However, they were getting some fun out 
of life as they went along. They had learned 
the knack of soaking fresh corn in water, of 
tying its husk and then of roasting it in a bed 
of hot coals. And Davis had developed into 
a griddle cake maker well worthy of praise. 
Then, too, they had crabs and catfish. But all 
the crabs and catfish in the Creek could not 
make up to them for the fact that Bass End 
was no longer a spot dear to their hearts. 

Three or four days passed and brought no 
private parties to the Submarine Excursion 
Company. Danny began to have a feeling 
that perhaps he had overreached himself in 
asking twenty-five cents a person. But on the 
fifth day, as they came back to the float from 
Shelter Cove, they found a young man impa- 
tiently pacing back and forth near the sign. 


70 


A PLASH OF LIGHT 


He came down to the water’s edge and 
stared long and curiously at both the Gray 
Whale and the Little Giant, 

‘‘Are those the submarines?” he asked. 
“Yes, sir,” Bob answered. 

“Would you mind sinking one? I want 
to see how it works.” 

Harry was a practical chap. 

“Are you just curious to see the boat work,” 

he asked, “or are you a pro — pro ” 

“Prospective?” Danny whispered. 

Harry nodded. “Yes, that’s it. Prospec- 
tive. Or are you a prospective customer?” 

The man gave a ghost of a smile. “I am a 
prospective customer,” he said. ^ 

So, without any more fuss and feathers. 
Bob, Harry and Perry sank the Gray Whale, 
They circled her under water. The young 
man on the float watched her ventilators as 
they moved along the surface. When she 
came to the top again he nodded his head as 
though satisfied. 


71 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘‘Can you take a party of six?” he asked. 

Could they? Of course they could. 

“What night have you open?” the young 
man asked. 

Danny was about to say any night. But 
Harry took a memorandum book from his 
pocket and pretended to study it. 

“What night do you want?” he asked. 

Danny and Bob gasped. Thunder! Harry 
was pretending they had a whole raft of en- 
gagements made already. 

“Could I have Thursday night?” 

Harry stared at the book. “Thursday,” he 
said thoughtfully. “All right; we’ll make it 
Thursday.” 

“What time?” the young man asked. 
“Eight o’clock?” 

“From eight to ten o’clock,” Harry an- 
swered. “And — and would you mind leav- 
ing a deposit?” 

Harry and Bob gasped again. But the 
young man asked how much, and Harry said 


72 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


calmly that fifty cents would be enough. The 
young man handed over half a dollar. 

‘Terry,” Harry ordered breezily, “give the 
gentleman a receipt.” 

“We have no receipts,” Perry blundored. 

But Harry was equal to the emergency. 
“Haven’t they come from the printer yet? 
Oh, well, make one out. I guess Mr. — 
Mr. ” 

“Mr. Franklin,” said the young man. 

“Thank you,” said Harry. “I guess Mr. 
Franklin will not mind a written receipt.” 

Mr. Franklin said he wouldn’t. Luckily 
Perry knew how to write a receipt. After the 
young man had departed Harry gave a sigh 
of relief. 

“That was touch and go for a while,” he 
grinned. “How did I manage it?” 

“You are the fiercest liar I ever met,” said 
Danny. 

“Oh, shucks!” Harry waved his hands 
airily. “That wasn’t a fib that hurt anybody, 
73 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


was it? I have no use for an out-and-out liar. 
That — that was just artistic.” 

‘‘And then some,” said Perry dryly. “How 
about receipts? Are we really going to have 
some printed?” 

“You can buy a whole pad of them for a 
quarter,” Harry informed them. 

“All right,” Bob ordered; “buy some. 
There’s no knowing what Harry will tell the 
next time if we don’t buy him some re- 
ceipts.” 

Thursday was a busy day for the boys. 

“It’s this way,” Danny explained. “This is 
our first private party. If we please this 
party we’ll get others, because these people 
will talk about the good time they had.” 

“How will we place them?” Farrant asked. 
“Three in a boat?” 

“Three in a boat,” Danny nodded. 

“Well,” Farrant observed, “we don’t want 
to fill the tank entirely with water when we go 
under. If we do the weight of these people 


74 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


will put us under further than we want to go. 
IWe’ll have to regulate that.” 

They wiped down the woodwork. The can- 
dle glasses were polished. Machinery was 
overhauled and cleaned. When supper time 
came the boys were sure that their boats were 
as sweet and as bright as they could be. 

They were back on the float at seven thirty 
o’clock. Shortly before eight o’clock Mr. 
Franklin appeared. With him were another 
young man, two young women and an elderly 
couple, possibly the parents of the young 
women. 

Mr. Franklin, a young woman and the 
elderly man entered the Gray Whale. The 
others boarded the Little Giant. The boats 
backed away from the float and turned their 
noses upstream. 

A brilliant moon lighted the waters of the 
Creek. Gently the submarines plugged their 
way along. Danny and Bob explained how 
the boats were worked. The passengers 
75 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


seemed vastly interested. The boats turned 
the bend and kept on toward Shelter Cove. 
They passed this and approached Bass End. 

‘Wonderful I” said one of the young 
women. 

“I will go under as soon as you are ready,” 
Bob announced. 

At that there was a flurry in the Gray 
Whale. The young woman’s face paled a 
bit, and Mr. Franklin looked concerned. 

“We — ^we are ready now,” he said hesitat- 
ingly. “Are we not, Edith?” 

“Y-yes,” said the young woman. 

The elderly man asked but one question. 
He spoke to Bob. “Is this thing safe, young 
man?” 

“We go down in it every day,” Bob an- 
swered. 

“I’m ready,” said the man. 

Harry called back to the Little Giant, 
“We’re going down.” Danny brought his 
boat up close to the flagship. 

76 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


^^Vll stand by,” he reported. 

Harry clapped down the hatch. The young 
woman gave a little gasp. They were pretty 
well crowded. Perry pulled the lever that 
flooded the tank — pulled it not wholly open, 
but about one-quarter. 

“Easy,” came Danny’s voice down the ven- 
tilators. He would see that they did not go 
down too deep. “Shut off,” he called after an 
interval. 

Perry closed the intakes that flooded the 
tank. The Gray Whale, her propeller turn- 
ing, forged ahead under water. 

“Are we really moving?” asked the young 
woman. 

“About three miles an hour,” Bob an- 
swered. 

The young woman gave a cry» “But if we 
should hit something ” 

“Port!” came a voice down the ventilator. 
Bob turned the steering wheel. “That’s our 
pilot calling down to us,” he smiled. 


77 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Mr. Franklin whistled. ^^You boys don’t 
forget much, do you?” 

“Not much,” Harry answered modestly. 

This voyage was strange even to the boys, 
who were used to the craft. Six persons stuck 
in that little hold gave a feeling of chokiness. 
And the boat, too, had a habit of rolling that 
wasn’t wholly pleasant. 

“Port!” came Danny’s voice again. 

“This is quite an adventure,” said the young 
woman. “I like it ever so much. But — but 
don’t you think we could go up?” 

“Certainly,” said Bob. Then: “Pumps!” 
he ordered. 

Harry and Perry worked the handles of 
the pump. It was hard going, for they were 
squeezed almost up against one another. But 
by dint of much puffing they finally got her 
to the surface. They threw back the hatch. 

“Why,” cried the young woman, “we were 
away down there when we sank. See how far 
we traveled!” 


78 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


The ease with which the Gray Whale had 
performed had calmed the passengers of the 
Little Giant, Danny sunk her, and now Bob’s 
boat became pilot. The Little Giant was down 
a long time. Bob, following at her keel, sud- 
denly had to shift his rudder to prevent run- 
ning into her aft ventilator. 

^‘Any trouble?” he called. 

Danny’s voice came up through the venti- 
lator. ‘‘Engine broke down.” 

“Oh!” cried Mr. Franklin. “What about 
this? They’re caught down there.” 

“They’re all right,” Bob answered. “They 
pump up by hand power, the same as we do. 
See, she’s coming up now,” 

Slowly the Little Giant came up, first more 
and more of her ventilators, then the top of 
her hatch, then her body. Finally she was 
thrown open. 

“We had a bigger adventure than you,” 
cried the second young woman. “We broke 
down under water and you didn’t.” 


79 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Bob felt a load taken from his mind. He 
had feared that this breakdown would fright- 
en the passengers of the Little Giant and right 
at the start give these excursions a bad repu- 
tation. Instead, the Little Giant's passengers 
were enthusiastic. 

‘We must get up another of these parties 
some time,” said Mr. Franklin with enthusi- 
asm. 

Danny and Farrant and Davis tinkered 
with their machinery, but the propeller did 
not turn one inch. Finally Danny threw Bob 
a line. The Gray Whale tried to tow her com- 
panion. But the current was against her and, 
though she held her own, she made no head- 
way. 

“I’m sorry,” Bob explained, “but we won’t 
be able to get you back at ten o’clock. The 
tide is against us. We’ll have to wait until it 
starts to run out.” 

“When will that be?” Mr. Franklin asked. 

“It is now nine o’clock,” Bob told him. 

8o 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


‘The tide will be at the flood at about ten. As 
soon as she starts to flow out we’ll have a com- 
bination of tide and our engine. We’ll make 
speed, sir.” 

The young man laughed. “Don’t hurry for 
me. I’m enjoying myself.” 

The tide came to the flood. They waited, 
and while they waited the passengers broke 
into song. Bob thought he never had heard 
better singing. Slowly, after a time, the Gray 
Whale started to forge ahead. 

“Here we go,” cried Danny. 

“And none too soon,” whispered Harry to 
Bob. “Look at that storm coming.” 

A high bank of black clouds was coming 
rapidly across the sky. Abruptly the moon 
was shut off and the Creek became dark. They 
heard the rumble of thunder. The singing 
stopped. 

“How is she in a storm?” Mr. Franklin 
asked. 

“This boat is good in any kind of weather,” 

8i 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Harry answered. ^‘The worse you’ll get is a 
wetting.” 

They were in the channel now, and that had 
the full strength of the outgoing tide. The 
Gray Whale, even though loaded with the Lit- 
tle Giant, moved a bit sluggishly. The thun- 
der rumbles grew plainer. 

And then, for a spell, the thunder ceased. 
Harry stuck his head up through the hatch. 
How did the Creek look, he wondered. Sud- 
denly he cocked his head sideways. He ap- 
peared to be listening. 

‘^Sound of oars on the starboard bow,” he 
called softly to Bob. 

It was just a play on Harry’s part to im- 
press the passengers. But Bob, thinking that 
perhaps it might be a rowboat trying to reach 
shelter before the storm broke, turned the 
wheel over to Perry. It would be no extra 
struggle to tow a rowboat along with the Lit- 
tle Giant, he thought. He went to the hatch 
and joined Harry. 


82 


A FLASH OF LIGHT 


‘Where?” he asked. 

“Bass End — right over there,” Harry an- 
swered. 

Bob made a trumpet of his hands. He was 
prepared to shout to those unknown voyagers 
on the Creek. But the shout did not come. 
For at that moment a broad, white light 
flashed over there across the water and went 
out. The light had flashed on a face, and Bob 
was sure that the face was that of “Sling” 
Duffy. 


CHAPTER VI 


THE DISCOVERY 

H ARRY’S head had been turned away 
and he had not seen the light. Bob 
went forward to the wheel. He was 
thinking rapidly. What should he do? Tell 
the others? Anyway, he couldn’t tell them 
now, for they would show excitement, and 
that would not do with passengers aboard. 

The thunder rumbled again. The Gray 
Whale rounded the bend and started on the 
last leg of her run to the float. Neatly and 
deftly they ran alongside. Harry, poised on 
the sloping deck, leaped to the float. Bob 
tossed him a rope. Another moment the boats 
were secured and the passengers came ashore. 
There was a mighty scurrying then to es- 
84 


THE DISCOVERY 


cape the rain. Mr. Franklin paid Harry an- 
other dollar. Soon the party that had left on 
its excursion so gayly was out the creek road 
and running for home, and the boys were 
alone on the float. 

Hurriedly they started to spread canvas so 
that the rain would not flood the boats. Big 
drops began to fall just as they finished the 
work. They raced for the shelter of Danny 
Dugan’s front porch. As they sat there, listen- 
ing to the rain on the tin roof, Danny said 
quietly: 

‘‘How many of you noticed that flash of 
light on the Creek?” 

“I did,” said Bob. 

Harry looked from one to the other. “Flash 
of light? What flash of light? Where?” 

“At Bass End,” Bob answered. “That time 
you called me.” 

“But I saw no flash of light.” 

“You were looking the other way.” 

“What sort of light?” Harry insisted. 

85 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘‘It looked like a pocket electric flash light 
to me,” Bob told him. “How about that, 
Danny?” 

Danny nodded. “That’s how it seemed to 
me, too.” 

Farrant smelled a mystery. “Did you fel- 
lows see anything else?” he asked. 

“I did,” said Bob. 

“I did,” said Danny. 

“They’re going to make a secret of it,” 
Harry grumbled. 

“Not much,” Danny cried. “When that 
light flashed it shone right into ‘Sling’ Duffy’s 
face.” 

Harry whirled around. “Did it. Bob?” 

Bob nodded. 

“Good night!” Perry said softly. “Then 
he is catching bass, isn’t he?” 

“Who ever heard of catching thirty and 
forty bass a night?” Danny demanded. 

None of the boys had ever heard of such a 
thing. In fact, they understood that it was 
86 


THE DISCOVERY 

practically impossible to hook the fish at 
night. 

“Well,” Perry demanded, “if he wasn’t 
fishing what was he doing?” 

“I don’t know,” Danny answered honestly. 
“And I think that Tommy Mason was with 
him. However, it’s a sure bet that they 
weren’t out there for their health. Remem- 
ber the day we took them around? Remem- 
ber how Bob was questioned about whether 
the fishing was good at Bass End?” 

“I remember that,” said Bob. 

“Well, now we see them at Bass End late 
at night. I’m going up there bright and early 
to-morrow and see what’s up.” 

The storm had passed as suddenly as it had 
come up. Leaving Danny, the other boys 
walked home, whispering on their way. 
“ ^Sling’ Duffy and Tommy Mason out on Lit- 
tle Giant Creek during a thunderstorm?” 

“Think they went to steal the Gray Whale 
or the Little Giant?*^ Perry asked. 

87 


GRAYi JVHALE— FLAGSHIE 


“Shucks!” Harry grunted impatiently. “If 
they wanted to get our boats what would they 
be doing up at Bass End?” 

“Well, we’ll see what Danny finds to-mor- 
row morning,” Bob told them. 

Next morning, when they arrived at the 
float, Danny had the canvas covers off the 
hatches. The woodwork had been wiped 
down and he was putting a fresh coat of paint 
on the fore and aft flagstaffs. He put down 
the brush. 

“Nothing,” he said. “Wasn’t a thing 
there.” 

“What time did you get there?” Bob asked. 

“About half past seven.” 

“Where did you look?” 

“All around. Above the End, below it — • 
all around.” 

“But, look here,” cried Harry. “What were 
you looking for? What did you expect to 
find?” 

“How did I know what I would find?” 


THE DISCOVERY 


Danny answered hotly. “I knew that our 
bass had gone and that these fellows were get- 
ting them.” 

After that the captain of the Little Giant 
picked up his brush and worked away in si- 
lence. Later Perry said hesitatingly; 

‘^Maybe — maybe Duffy being there was 
just an accident.” 

“Maybe,” said Bob. “Come on. If we 
don’t hustle for the cove we won’t be in time 
for flag raising.” 

They did nothing that day but mope about 
in a listless fashion. They were all thinking 
more or less of what Perry had said. Per- 
haps it was an accident that “Sling” Duffy 
had been on the creek. But why had they 
never seen him before? 

Harry’s restless mind chafed at the day’s 
dreariness. 

“I have an idea,” he said. “Suppose we buy 
soft mosquito netting, build a frame of one- 
inch lumber, string the netting over it and 
89 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


put a long table and chairs for half a dozen 
under the shelter.” 

“What for?” Bob asked the question idly, 
for he wasn’t much interested, 

“Well, the way things are now we get 
twenty-five cents a person when we take out 
a private party. People get hungry. Charge 
them each a quarter extra and bring them 
here. They can sit under netting and be away 
from mosquitoes, and we can give each of 
them some crabs, an ear of roasted corn, a 
roasted potato and a fried bass.” 

“Don’t you want to build a hotel?” Danny 
asked with sarcasm. 

Harry was not disturbed. “We could build 
the hotel next year,” he said breezily. 

“And of course the bass We could al- 

ways have bass, couldn’t we?” Danny grunted 
in disgust. “Why, we can’t catch enough 
bass to have one apiece for dinner each day. 
And you want us to give bass to our passen- 
gers. Your brains are getting fuzzy.” 

90 


THE DISCOVERY 


“All right,” growled Harry, “but they’re 
not getting rusty because I don’t use them.” 

They brought the boats back to the float 
much earlier than usual. Harry hoped that 
somebody would be waiting to hire them to 
go out that night. But nobody was at the float, 
and they soon separated. 

Next day, for the first time, they missed 
their nine o’clock flag raising. For when they 
came to the float Danny Dugan was not in 
sight, but a note tacked to the flagstaff of the 
Little Giant told them to wait for him. It was 
almost nine o’clock when his flat-bottom came 
down the Creek and ran up to the float. 

“Where were you?” Harry demanded. 
“Here it’s almost nine ” 

“I was scouting around up at Bass End,” 
Danny answered. 

“What for?” 

“To see if they had left anything behind 
this time.” 

Harry’s eyes opened. “This time? Do you 


91 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


mean that Duffy and Mason were on the 
Creek last night?” 

‘They were,” said Danny. “That is, I think 
they were. I rowed up to Bass End about 
half past nine o’clock last night and I ran my 
flat-bottom into the reeds on the other side. 
Right after the village clock struck ten I heard 
oars over at Bass End. There was no flash of 
a pocket light this time. I could see the out- 
lines of a boat and two figures. They stayed 
there a little while and then they rowed down- 
stream.” 

“What did they do while they were up 
there?” Harry asked eagerly. 

“If I knew that would I be up there this 
morning?” Danny demanded. 

Harry drew back abashed. For once he had 
no answer ready. 

“Then night before last wasn’t an accident,” 
said Perry. 

“Not by a long shot,” cried Danny. 

They journeyed over to Shelter Cove. They 


92 


THE DISCOVERY 


were an hour late, but nevertheless they raised 
the flag -with all their customary ceremony. 
After that, without a word of debate as to 
what they should do next, they sent the boats 
up to Bass End. 

“Of course,” said Bob, “there’s only one 
way for us to find out what all this means. 
(We must come up here to-night and watch.” 

Danny nodded. “That’s my idea.” 

“We’ll have to hide. It was easy for Danny 
to screen a small rowboat, but we may have 
trouble with two boats as big as these. Let’s 
explore around here and see how things are.” 

The Little Giant took one bank. The Gray 
Whale took the other. In through the reeds 
they poked their way. They took note of all 
landmarks that they might be able to see if a 
moon were up that night. And shortly before 
noon Bob, piloting the Gray Whale, found a 
basin of water back among the reeds on the 
western bank. Here the boats, it was decided, 
would hide. 


93 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Six excited boys put out from Danny Du- 
gan’s float that night at eight o’clock. They 
had trouble finding their hiding place, but 
they were successful after a tedious search. 
Once behind the shelter of the reeds they 
prepared for the long wait that would 
follow. 

The village clock struck nine, and some 
time later struck the half hour. Then, after 
a long interval — at least it seemed long to the 
boys — the clock boomed ten. 

^‘Quiet now!” Bob ordered. ‘‘They’ll be 
along any minute.” 

“I brought my night glass with me,” said 
Danny. 

The minutes passed. Unconsciously the 
crew of each boat drew together as though for 
mutual protection. They strained their eyes, 
but saw nothing. And then, just as Harry was 
about to speak, Danny’s voice whispered a 
soft: 

“Sshl” 


94 


THE DISCOVERY 


Faintly came the sound of oars in their locks 
and a gentle slapping splash of the water. 
Danny leveled his glass. 

^^Don’t ask me what I see,” he said. “Don’t 
talk to me at all. Keep quiet.” 

Even without the glass the other boys saw 
the dark shape that presently came opposite, 
went on for a ways and then stopped. They 
heard the suppressed murmur of voices. They 
held their breaths and did not dare move for 
fear their feet might strike against something 
that would make a noise. 

Whatever that other boat was doing, she 
took a frightfully long time. Twice they 
saw it move, and once it started, apparently to 
come across the Creek toward them. They 
had a momentary panic then. But the boat 
stopped after it had come a few yards, and 
soon afterward it turned down the Creek 
melted into the darkness, and at last even the 
sound of its oars was gone. 

They waited then for a few more minutes. 

95 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘What did you see, Danny?” Harry de- 
manded excitedly. 

“I couldn’t see much. They were bent low 
over the water.” 

“Couldn’t you see enough to make a guess?” 
Harry asked in disappointment. 

“Not half a guess,” said Danny “Come on ; 
let’s get over there and see what’s what.” 

They sent the boats across the creek. Back 
and forth they cruised, scanning the water ex- 
pectantly. The moon came up, and by its 
light they searched still closer. But whatever 
it was that Duffy and Mason had been work- 
ing on had completely disappeared. 

“You’re all fog-eyed,” cried Harry. “They 
didn’t come here just to dip their fingers in 
the waters. They must have left something 
down there.” 

“Suppose you find it,” Danny Dugan an- 
swered wrathfully ; “you’re such a wise chap.” 

“I’m going to find it,” Harry retorted. “If 
I can’t see it I’ll go in and feel for it.” 

96 


THE DISCOVERY 


He wriggled out of his clothes. Gently he 
dropped into the water. He began to swim 
around and around in an ever widening circle, 
feeling as he went with his hands and his feet. 

Without warning he suddenly straightened 
in the water and began to tread. 

‘‘This way with the boats,” he called. 

The Gray Whale moved toward him. Perry 
pulled him out. 

“Find anything?” Danny asked eagerly 
from the Little Giant, 

“There’s something down there,” Harry 
answered. “Get me a fishing line. I want to 
haul it up.” 

A minute later he cast a line. He had taken 
off the bob and had clamped some split shot 
on the end of the line. The hooks and the end 
of the line disappeared. 

“Now,” said Harry. 

He reeled in. Suddenly the line stiffened. 
The pole bent almost double. Harry dropped 
the pole and tried to pull in hand over hand. 


97 


GRAY WHALE^-FLAGSHIP 


‘‘Get another line into this,” he cried. 
“She’s heavy.” 

Perry threw over a line, and Danny, from 
the Little Giant, threw over another. Some- 
thing white and web-like came to the top of the 
water. They hauled away until Harry could 
reach out his hand and clasped their discovery. 

They could not see what he had. Bob and 
Perry came running to him. Then Harry 
stood up, and what he had held splashed back 
into the water. 

“You’ve let it go,” cried Danny. 

“I saw what it was,” Harry answered. 
“That was enough.” 

Danny leaned almost half out of his boat. 
“But what was it, Harry? Tell us; what 
was it?” 

“It was a net,” Harry said distinctly, “a 
trammel net. Duffy and Mason have been 
netting our fish. No wonder they could get 
twenty and thirty bass a day.” 

“And no wonder we got none,” said Bob. 

98 


CHAPTER VII 


HARRY'S FALSE MOVE 

N OW that the boys had solved the 
mystery of Bass End and actually 
had the trammel net in their posses- 
sion, they did not know what to do with it. 
Neither did they know what to do next. The 
problem was too big for them. They feared 
the wrath of the two boys from Great 
Meadow. So, in their indecision, they al- 
lowed the net to stay in the water. They « 
turned the boats around and went back to the 
Dugan float. 

The boys did not know that netting fish in 
Little Giant Creek, now that the stream had 
been stocked with bass, had been prohibited by 
law. In the old days, when the Creek had 


99 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


held the coarser fish, such as carp and eels, 
there had been no law that stopped the netting 
of carp, and market fishermen regularly set 
eel pots. So the boys now saw nothing illegal 
in the fact that Duffy and Mason netted bass. 
To their minds the Great Meadow boys were 
fish hogs pure and simple. The bass had been 
put in the Creek for sport. Duffy and Mason 
were taking them out for gain. 

‘We must stop this,” said Harry. ‘Why, 
if those nets stay there we won’t have a bass 
left before we know it.” 

“How are we going to stop it?” Farrant 
asked bluntly. “Go out there and fight 
them?” 

“N-no,” said Harry hesitatingly. 

“Take their net?” 

“Gosh!” cried Perry. “They’d be mad if 
they lost their net, wouldn’t they? They 
might think we took it.” 

That was the phase of the matter that both- 
ered all the boys. Suppose Duffy and Mason 


lOO 


HARRY’S FALSE MOVE 


started out after them? Why, they’d be 
afraid to venture out on the Creek. Then 
it would be good-night to their fun, good- 
night to Shelter Cove, good-night to the Sub- 
marine Excursion Company. 

‘^Let’s get out early in the morning,” Harry 
proposed. 

^‘What for?” Bob asked. 

‘We can hide in the reeds and see what 
they do. We can see if they really get all 
their bass from that net.” 

Danny sniffed. “We’d have a fine chance 
of hiding this whole crowd in daylight, 
wouldn’t we? I guess not. I live right on 
the Creek. I’m nearer to things than you fel- 
lows. I’ll go up there first thing in the morn- 
ing and see what those fellows do.” 

“Better let me go along to help you,” said 
Harry, but Danny turned a deaf ear to the 
suggestion. 

At daylight next morning Danny was out 
of bed. He pulled a flat-bottom rowboat 

lOI 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


around to the front of the float and stepped 
in. A moment later his oars were out, and he 
was pulling upstream. He kept close to one 
bank. He did not know what minute Duffy 
and Mason would appear, and he did not 
want them smelling a rat. He wanted to be 
where, should occasion arise, he could dart 
his boat into the concealment of the reeds. 

He approached Bass End cautiously. 
There was no sign of another boat. He ran 
his flat-bottom into the reeds. He took out 
his watch and waited. 

So gently did Duffy and Mason make their 
journey to Bass End that they were almost at 
the spot before the sharp ears of Danny heard 
their oars. With his heart beating heavily 
the boy parted some reeds and watched. He 
saw the net come in. He saw fish taken from 
it. And then he saw the net hauled in and 
stowed away in the bottom of the boat. The 
boat put down the Creek again. 

He waited in his hiding place for half an 


102 


HARRY’S FALSE MOVE 


hour. Leisurely he pulled his way back to 
the float. He went in to breakfast with the 
appetite of a boy who had been out in the open 
for hours. And while he was eating he saw 
Harry and Bob turn in from the Creek road 
and hasten toward the float. 

Danny finished his breakfast without haste. 
When he came forth Farrant and Davis and 
Perry were with Harry and Bob. 

“Did they come this morning?” Harry 
cried. 

“They did,” said Danny. 

“Did they get fish?” 

“Fish?” Danny spread his hands. “If they 
didn’t get forty I miss my guess.” 

“What did they do with them?” Harry de- 
manded. 

“Threw them overboard,” Danny answered 
with sarcasm. “You chump! What do you 
think they did with them? They took them 
with them, of course, and they took away the 
net, too. I have this whole game doped out.. 

103 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


They put weights at the bottom of the net. 
That takes it down to the Creek bottom. Then 
they put corks on the top. That keeps the top 
floating. Any bass that swims up or down the 
Creek hasn’t a chance.” 

^^But how do they keep the net from the 
surface?” Bob asked. ‘^Boats would row into 
it ” 

^^Nix!” said Danny. ‘They’re too wise for 
that. They just have enough net measured 
out so that boats will go over the net-top. 
They’re a mighty foxy couple.” 

They were all of that, the chums were ready 
to agree. They were so crafty, in fact, that 
Bob did not think that it was possible 
to put a stop to any of their operations. 
They were so much bigger, so much 
older, so much stronger, and apparently 
so much wiser. It would be an unequal 
struggle. 

“I don’t know about that,” said Danny. 
“We have a handful of brains ourselves. Of 


104 


HARRY’S FALSE MOVE 


course, you wouldn’t think so to look at Harry, 
but we have.” 

‘^I’m the boy with the most brains,” Harry 
said calmly. “You’re such a smart fellow, 
Danny, what plan have you?” 

“None,” said Danny. 

“Well, I have a plan. Suppose we start a' 
watch on these fellows. Keep a record of 
when they come and when they go. Maybe 
they come and go at different times on differ- 
ent days.” 

“What good will if do us to watch them?” 
Perry demanded. “We can’t get any place 
by watching.” 

“No?” said Harry. “Let’s see if we won’t. 
We want to do something to stop this net fish- 
ing, don’t we?” 

“Of course we do,” Bob told him. 

“We don’t want to get caught if we do any- 
thing, do we?” 

“No.” 

“Well, then, how are we going to manage 
105 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


so as not to get caught unless we know some- 
thing about their movements. If we’re going 
to start something any time it suits us, we 
may be caught in the act. We must have 
this figured out so well that when we 
start business we’ll know we won’t be inter- 
rupted.” 

Here was the logic that appealed to the 
chums. After much arguing it was decided 
that Danny should not have the sole glory of 
watching. At night they could use their sub- 
marines. They had used them once and had 
not been discovered. Danny could watch 
alone in the mornings until such time as a 
place was found from which they could all 
spy with safety. 

‘^Suppose Duffy and Mason catch us watch- 
ing them?” Perry asked uneasily. 

‘Then there’ll be trouble,” Danny said with 
conviction. 

Perry didn’t like that. In fact, none of the 
boys did. But there was no way to avoid this 
io6 


HARRY’S FALSE MOVE 


threat of danger unless they were willing to 
give over the Creek and its bass. 

‘‘And I’ll take a chance on fighting Duffy,” 
Harry said, “before I’ll do that.” 

Next day the boys from Great Meadow ar- 
rived at five fifteen o’clock. 

“I don’t have to leave the house,” Danny ex- 
ulted. “I can set my alarm clock for five 
o’clock, get up when it rings, take my glass 
to the window and scan the Creek until they 
come in sight. They can’t get past me.” 

“Is that how you saw them this morning?” 
Harry demanded. 

“It was,” Danny grinned. “And as soon as 
they passed I jumped into bed for another lit- 
tle snooze.” 

“No peeping out of the windows for mine,” 
Harry announced. “That’s too tame. To- 
night I’m going to be up near Bass End.” 

“We’ll all be there,” said Farrant. 

“Hope they don’t catch us,” Perry muttered 
nervously. 

107 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIF 


That night they hid in the reeds, and with 
the aid of a friendly moon, watched the net 
go overboard again. They timed the arrival 
of the Great Meadow boys as ten-twenty 
o’clock. Duffy and Mason acted as though 
they feared no discovery. When the net was 
out they turned their boat around and pulled 
down the stream. 

So, for five days, the watching continued. 
At the end of that time Bob and his chums 
had come to the conclusion that the two net 
fishermen never arrived later at night than 
ten-thirty o’clock, and never later in the morn- 
ing than five-thirty o’clock. 

‘T’ve noticed one peculiar thing,” Harry 
observed. ‘^They always do a lot of monkey- 
ing before they drop their net at night. I bet 
they put it in the same place every time.” 

“Why?” Farrant asked. 

“So they’ll know just where to find it in the 
morning,” Harry answered. “I’ll show you 
to-night” 

io8 


HARRY’S FALSE MOVE 


And that night, after the Great Meadow 
boat had departed, the submarines went across 
the Creek to Bass End. Harry dropped a 
fishing line and found the inshore end of the 
net. 

^^See?” he demanded. “She’s right in line 
with that tallest tree. Suppose we give them 
a bit of worry?” 

“How?” Perry asked eagerly. 

“Why,” Harry answered, “we can ” 

He gave a sudden shout. “Why, we can about 
tie them up for one night. Take this end and 
turn it upstream. Then, instead of lying 
across the Creek, the net will lie parallel with 
it. Maybe they won’t get a fish to-night.” 

What a fine way that was to take a crack at 
Duffy and Mason 1 The end of the net was 
dragged aboard the Gray Whale, She came 
around in a circle until she was about near 
the center of the Creek. Then the boat went 
upstream until the net pulled. After that the 
net was dropped. 


109 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


The chums went back to the float giggling 
and chuckling. 

“Oh,” said Harry, “I guess they’re* not the 
chaps who can think of things only.” 

Next morning, when the chums arrived for 
the start of another day, they found Danny 
pacing up and down the float with a grave 
face. 

“We’ve put our feet in it this time,” he an- 
nounced. 

“How?” Bob demanded. 

“I went up to the End to watch,” Danny 
said. ‘T wanted to see how Duffy and Mason 
would act. When they didn’t find the part 
that Harry moved, they got excited. Gosh, 
but they were mad. When they did find it, 
they hauled it in as fast as they could work. 
Then they turned downstream and rowed 
as fast as they could. Duffy kept looking 
back. Believe me, if those fellows find out 
who monkeyed with that net there’ll be 
trouble.” 


no 


HARRY’S FALSE MOVE 


“Huhl” grunted Harry. “How will they 
find out?” 

But his voice wasn’t any too sure. What a 
chump he had been, he thought, to get fresh 
with anything owned by Duffy or Mason! 


CHAPTER VIII 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 

A nd now a time of caution came over 
the chums of the submarines. They 
must do nothing that would arouse 
suspicion. They must act as though they had 
no knowledge of that net, or no dread of pun- 
ishment. 

Danny reported next morning that Duffy 
and Mason had not gone up the Creek. 

‘‘Maybe they got past without you seeing 
them,” said Harry. 

“Maybe they didn’t,” retorted Danny. 
“The Creek is only half a mile wide here. 
How could any boat get past in daylight? 
Anyhow, I was awake and watching at half 
past four o’clock.” 


II2 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 


What to do to-day was the next question. 
Suppose the fellows from Great Meadow 
came snooping around? 

“If they don’t see us on the Creek they’ll 
know that something is up,” Bob argued. 
“We ought to go^out.” 

“But what will we do?” Perry asked. 

“Go to Shelter Cove. Crab, fish. Do any- 
thing. Build a fire. Cook our dinner there. 
Act as though we know of no net.” 

They brought the submarines upstream. 
“Suppose Duffy or Mason come along?” 
Danny Dugan answered grimly. “It all de- 
pends upon what they do. If they let us alone 
we’ll let them alone.” 

That day the chums lived in apprehension. 
But neither of the boys they dreaded appeared. 
That night Danny came up to the end and 
watched alone. It took all his courage to 
make the trip, but he was bound that he 
would know what was happening. Half- 
past ten o’clock came, and brought neither 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Duffy nor Mason. Danny pulled his boat 
toward home. 

“They’re afraid,” he said. “They think 
some fishermen found the net, and will be 
angry about it, and will lick them if they find 
them. They’ll stay away for a while.” 

Next morning he watched the Creek from 
daylight, but the fishing boat did not come 
into the Creek. 

“Take my word for it,” he said that morn- 
ing to Bob, “they’ll stay away for quite a 
spell.” 

“Let’s try the bass fishing,” Bob cried eag- 
erly. 

“And let’s try to get another party for the 
Submarine Excursion Company,” said Far- 
rant. 

Harry whistled thoughtfully. “About this 
excursion business,” he said. “I’ve been doing 
some thinking. Suppose a passenger was to 
fall overboard?” 

“Let him swim back,” Davis answered. 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 


“But suppose he couldn’t swim.” 

They hadn’t thought of that. 

“Isn’t there a law,” Danny Dugan asked 
hazily, “about life preservers?” 

“You bet there is,” Harry told him. “Each 
boat ought to have two. Let’s go to see Mr. 
Hinkelstedt.” 

From some place in his shop the old boat 
builder produced four preservers. 

“You must place them so you can easy get 
at them,” he warned. “When you want a 
life preservers you want it in lots of hurries. 
Make them fast outside the boat — one on 
each sides. Then, when you need one, there 
she is.” 

“Good idea!” said Harry. 

“And you should paint the names of your 
boats on them,” said Mr. Hinkelstedt. “Then 
everything is shipshapes.” 

They took the life preservers aboard and 
turned out into the stream. 

“Suppose we quit bass for the day,” Danny 

115 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 

suggested. ‘^Suppose we fix up these preserv- 
ers?’’ 

“What’s the matter with putting the name 
of the boats on everything we own?” Harry 
asked eagerly. “Dry batteries, candle holders 
— everything?” 

The chums decided that that would be a 
bully way to pass the day. While Farrant did 
the lettering, the others cleaned ship. Wood- 
work was washed down. Flagstaffs and slop- 
ing decks were scrubbed. They cleaned the 
glass of the lookouts. To do this the crew of 
the Gray Whale had to take off the wire that 
protected the glass. 

“See what a nuisance that wire is?” Danny 
grinned. “None for my boat.” 

“Safety first,” said Bob. “You may be sorry 
some day, Danny.” 

“Rats!” said Danny. “If I see a tree trunk 
or something coming I’ll steer out of the way, 
I guess. I won’t steer into it, will I?” 

When the preservers were dry, they were 

ii6 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 


put into place. Heavy, long, thick nails were 
driven into the side of each boat, and from 
these nails the preservers were hung. 

‘‘We ought to put line on them,” Danny 
urged, but Harry scoffed at the idea. If they 
had to throw one overboard, he said, the 
Creek wasn’t so wide that it would float away 
and get lost. 

“But suppose we want to haul in some per- 
son who has hold of a preserver?” Danny in- 
sisted. 

“Anybody who hasn’t strength enough to 
hold on until we get to him, wouldn’t be able 
to hold on while we pull him through the 
water,” Harry replied. 

The third day passed, and brought with it 
no sign of the Great Meadow boys. Then, on 
the fourth day, the chums went up to Bass 
End to see whether the absence of the net had 
improved the fishing. 

It did not take them long to come to the 
conclusion that the sport had improved. It 
1 17 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


was possible to get a bass every now and then. 
Why, if that net was never again put back, 
the fishing would soon be fine. 

The chums were soon in rare good humor. 
All at once Perry whispered in a frightened 
tone that a boat was coming. The good humor 
vanished. 

They watched the boat approach. Present- 
ly they saw that Duffy was pulling, and that 
Mason sat in the stern seat. At that Perry’s 
heart began to thump wildly, and his hand 
shook so that his bob trembled in the water. 

“Here,” Bob called, “reel in. They’ll surely 
suspect something if they see you acting that 
way. Duck below and stay there until you’re 
all right.” 

Perry disappeared from sight. 

The boys from Great Meadow came almost 
abreast of the submarines. They lowered 
overboard a big flat stone as an anchor. 

“How’s the fishing?” Duffy asked easily. 

“Fair,” said Danny. His bob jerked. He 

ii8 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 


hooked his fish, played it, and brought it in. 
“Want to hire our boats to-day?” 

“Not to-day,” Duffy grinned. He brought 
out a rod, prepared his line, and cast. “How 
— ah — how has fishing been?” 

“It was punk for a little while,” Danny 
answered. He had become the spokesman of 
the party. The others seemed to be afraid to 
speak. 

“Punk, eh?” Duffy glanced at him shrewd- 
ly. “Why was it punk?” 

“Oh, people around here think that the 
fish must have died, or that there must be 
some poison in the water, or something like 
that.” 

Duffy nodded. He hooked a fish. There 
was silence until he had the bass in the boat 
and had his line out again. 

“Is that the only reason people said the fish- 
ing was poor?” he asked. 

“That’s the only reason I heard,” Danny 
told him. 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


“You fellows hear all the gossip up and 
down the Creek, don’t you?” 

“Every bit of it,” Danny said stoutly. 
“We’re out on this Creek all summer long.” 

After that there was another long spell of 
silence. At last Duffy said : 

“There hasn’t been any talk, has there?” 

Danny pretended surprise. “About what?” 

“Oh, about something being found on the 
Creek.” 

“About what being found?” This time 
Danny’s tone of surprise was a work of art. 

“Oh, anything. You know that things are 
always being found on a creek like this.” 

Danny shook his head. “There was nothing 
found. I’d have heard if there was. The 
news would have gone from boathouse to boat- 
house.” 

Duffy laughed and nodded to Mason. “See 
that,” he said. He became quite jolly, and 
told a funny story or two. 

Bob, who feared that if they stayed too long 


120 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 


somebody might let something slip, said that 
they had enough bass for dinner and had bet- 
ter go. So the submarines turned their noses 
around and went downstream. They passed 
into Shelter Cove — and once they were inside 
the inlet, Perry’s head came up through the 
hatch. 

“Hear all those questions?” he demanded. 
“They were pumping. They want to find out 
if anybody said anything about finding their 
old net.” 

Danny grinned. “They didn’t get much 
out of me, did they? They think that some 
boat shifted that net and didn’t know it. I 
suppose they’ll come back and start netting 
again.” 

Harry’s face darkened. “They had better 
not,” he said. 

“Huh!” said Farrant. “What would you 
do.” 

“Wait until they come Hack,” said Harry. 

They cooked their bass, and feasted royally. 

I2I 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


On their way home that evening they passed 
Giant Creek Park. Perry thought he saw a 
way for the Submarine Excursion Company 
to make money. 

“There will be a picnic at the park to-mor- 
row,” he said. “Couldn’t we take out parties 
at ten or fifteen cents a ride?” 

Danny looked dubious. “I don’t know 
about that.” 

“But there’s always a lot of kids on a pic- 
nic,” Perry insisted. “Let’s try it, Danny. 
Mr. Seeley owns the park, and he has a big 
float. It would be a fine thing for him to have 
two submarine boats amusing his picnic 
crowd. Let’s ask him to let us use his float.” 
After they had tied up the submarines they 
interviewed Mr. Seeley. Could they use the 
float? Of course they could. He wished 
them all manner of success. Could they put 
up a sign? Well, they could put up a small 
one. 

The chums went back to Danny Dugan’s 


122 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 

float There the ready Farrant painted this 
sign: 


THIS WAY 

SEE A REAL SUBMARINE 
TAKE A SAIL UNDER WATER 
CHILDREN— lo 
ADULTS— 15 

‘^There’s one thing about this company I 
like,” Danny said. ^When we stop making 
money one way, we find some other way.” 

‘What time do we report?” Perry asked. 

“These picnics never get started until about 
two o’clock in the afternoon. Let’s get to the 
park float at about half-past one o’clock.” 

Next day, as soon as they had eaten their 
noon meal, the chums assembled at the Dugan 
float. A bright day of sunshine it was, and 
the submarines sparkled with cleanliness. Bob 
and Danny had donned white duck trousers. 
They looked the part of gallant commanders, 
indeed. 


123 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Shortly after one o’clock they ran the boats 
to the float. The sign had been stretched over 
a small frame and nailed to a stout length of 
lumber. This lumber was jabbed into the 
soil. The company sat back and waited for 
business. 

Soon the float was crowded with curious 
children, and in the wake of these came their 
mothers. There was much excited specula- 
tion, but no offers to buy a ride. 

‘‘Sink!” Bob ordered. “Show them.” 

So, before the astonished eyes of the watch- 
ers, the traps were lowered, the tanks were 
partly filled, and the boats sank beneath the 
surface. With their ventilators and flagstaffs 
showing the boats cruised about for fifteen 
minutes. They came to the surface and went 
back to the float. And at once there was a 
struggle among a dozen children to get 
aboard. 

“Thunder!” said Harry. “Let’s take three 
or four kids at a time. We can watch them.” 


124 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 


“Three is plenty,” said Bob. At a signal 
Farrant raised his voice: 

“Have your money ready. Only three chil- 
dren to a boat. Have your money handy. 
Here, Johnny, you’ll have to wait. There are 
three boys in there already.” 

For the next three hours the Gray Whale 
and the Little Giant did a steady business. 
Then came a lull. Harry sat on the sloping 
deck and fanned himself. 

“Whew! I’m tired. How much have we 
made?” 

“Two dollars and ninety cents here,” Danny 
called. 

“Three dollars and twenty cents here,” 
laughed Bob. 

Harry whistled. “As much as that? Six 
dollars and ten cents. We ought to give Perry 
a commission. Think there’ll be any business 
to-night?” 

“No children at night,” said Bob. “We’ll 
give rides like our party sails. Twenty-five 


125 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


cents a person. Suppose Farrant goes up and 
calls through the Park that no children will 
be taken down after seven o’clock, and that 
the price for night sails will be twenty-five 
cents a person.” 

Farrant stepped off to the float. ‘^I’ll tell 
them,” he said. 

They heard his voice as he moved through 
the Park. His announcement brought a flurry 
of boys and girls who had not yet sailed in 
the boats. Seventy cents was taken in. Bob 
went off to telephone that the company was 
doing nicely, and that he wouldn’t be home 
for dinner, and Danny had Mr. Seeley make 
him up a dollar’s worth of sandwiches. The 
sandwiches and seven quarts of bottled milk 
were carried to the submarines. The crews 
feasted. 

Afterward they hung their night lights to 
the top of the flagstaffs. Then they were ready 
for business. 

At nine thirty o’clock they quit for the day. 

126 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 


The evening had brought them two dollars 
and fifty cents. They had spent one dollar for 
sandwiches, and sixty-three cents for milk. 
They had seven dollars and sixty-seven cents 
left as the result of the day’s work. 

Harry, as soon as the boats were tied to the 
Dugan float, stretched off at full length. 

‘T could sleep right here,” he grunted. “It’s 
tough work pumping those boats up and down 
all day.” 

Farrant and Davis and Perry agreed. They 
were all worked out. A languor came over 
them. They had a feeling that they just 
wanted to lie off there and rest, and that they 
didn’t care whether or not they got home that 
night. 

From up the Creek at the Park came the 
sleepy strains of music. The Creek was full 
of dark shadows, with here and there a lighter 
spot. 

There was very little moon to-night. What 
there was of it came from behind some 


127 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


clouds and gave the Creek a feeble glow. 

Danny was sitting beside Bob. Suddenly 
they saw him come up to a crouch. He stared 
across the Creek. 

‘There’s a boat over there,” he said. “See 
it? There— approaching the Hinkelstedt 
float. See it?” 

They were all crouched now. Harry spoke : 

“Going what way, Danny?” 

“Upstream. See it?” 

They saw it. It was so dark as to be vague 
and ghostlike. But the dimness did not de- 
ceive Danny. 

“Duffy and Mason,” he said. “They’re 
going up to spread their nets. I’d know that 
boat among a thousand. I’ve watched it too 
often to be fooled.” 

At that Harry jumped up. Somehow he 
seemed to have grown an inch or two and to 
have become broader across the shoulders. 

“I don’t know what you fellows intend to 
do,” he announced angrily, “but my mind is 
128 


THE BOAT THAT PASSED 


made up. Those chaps can’t spoil any more 
of my fishing without trouble. To-night they 
spread their last net.” 

Danny looked at him. ‘‘What do you want 
to do, Harry?” 

“Take their net,” was the answer: “take it 
and keep it.” 


CHAPTER IX 


INTO TROUBLE 

T here was a surprised murmur from 
the other boys. Perry gave a fright- 
ened gasp. Harry suddenly seemed 
to have become the leader. 

‘‘They’ll find out we took it,” Perry said. 
His voice trembled. 

“They won’t,” said Harry. “And, anyhow, 
what if they do? They have no right to spread 
a net in this Creek. They spoil the sport for 
every chap who wants to fish for bass honestly. 
I’m tired of it. If they’re allowed to go on, 
they’ll soon have about every bass. They 
what? Nothing left for the rest of us.” 

“But — but couldn’t we get into trouble for 
taking their net?” Farrant asked. 


130 


INTO TROUBLE 


Harry shook his head. ‘T don’t know. I 
don’t think so. If we took that net and then 
went around and told everybody why we took 
it, everybody would say we were right.” 

“But we don’t want to tell everybody,” 
Perry burst out. “We want to keep it a 
secret.” 

“Keep it a secret then,” Harry answered 
grimly. “But we’ll take their net. We’ll 
keep it until the bass season ends. Then we’ll 
return it to them so they won’t know where it 
came from.” 

“And we could send them a letter,” Perry 
said eagerly, “with no name signed to it. 
And we could tell them that if they spread 
a net next season we’d tell all the fishermen 
on the Creek about it and make things hot 
for them.” 

“Next season’s a long ways off,” Harry re- 
marked. “First we must get the net.” 

“Not to-night,” Bob said quietly. 

They all looked at the leader. He had 
131 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


dropped back on the float and was resting on 
one elbow. 

‘‘How are you, Farrant?” he asked. 
“Tired?” 

“Dog tired,” Farrant answered. 

“And you’re tired, too, Danny. So am I. 
So is Harry. What a fine chance we’d have 
getting away with a big net to-night. Wait 
a while.” 

“All right,” said Harry. “We’ll take it to- 
morrow morning before they get here.” 

“We won’t,” said Bob. 

Now Danny nodded his head as though he 
understood. “I see what you mean. Bob. If 
we want to get that net in the morning, we’d 
have to leave here about four thirty o’clock. 
We’ll all sleep like bricks to-night. None of 
us will be awake that early to-morrow.” 

“Correct,” said Bob. “And we’ll leave that 
net alone to-morrow night. I don’t like these 
night stunts. It’s too dark to see what you’re 
doing, and fellows like us who don’t know 


132 


INTO TROUBLE 


much about handling nets, need some light- 
We don’t want to carry lanterns, do we.” 

“No,” Perry answered at once. 

“Then a little daylight is the proper thing. 
This would be my plan : Rest up to-morrow. 
Get to bed early to-morrow night. Day after 
to-morrow we can get away from this float no 
later than half-past four. By the time Duffy 
and Mason arrive we’ll have the net back here 
stowed away in Danny’s cellar.” 

“That sounds good to me/’ said Danny. 
“How about you, Harry?” 

“I guess I was going too fast,” Harry ad- 
mitted. “Well, to-morrow morning they 
get their last fish. That’s the agreement, 
isn’t it?” 

“That’s the agreement,” said Bob. 

Bob’s prediction that they would sleep 
soundly that night proved good judgment. 
Next morning none of the boys awakened 
early. It was nine o’clocjc before Farrant, the 
last of the chums, arrived at the float. 


133 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


“Mr. Seeley was down here this morning,” 
Danny told them. 

^What did he want?” Perry asked eagerly. 

^‘He wants us to have the submarines around 
for all the picnics. He said the people were 
all talking about it. Of course, it’s a good 
thing for his Park because it makes an extra 
attraction, and it’s a good thing for us because 
it brings us in a lot of money. Suppose we 
work the picnics, and give up taking out pri- 
vate parties? We never know when a private 
party will want to go out, but we can sit here 
this morning and know the date of every pic- 
nic that will be at Mr. Seeley’s Park for the 
rest of the summer.” 

^‘How many more picnics will he have?” 
Harry asked. 

‘‘Six. If we do as well at all of them, we 
ought to have fifty dollars in the treasury be- 
fore we go back to school. Well, what do you 
say? Picnics or private parties?” 

They said picnics with a yell and a cheer. 


134 


INTO TROUBLE 


Farrant went out and took down the big 
canvas sign that for so long had faced the 
Creek road. 

Everything they did to-day was done with 
a busy, bustling air. Early in the afternoon 
they came back from a fishing trip to Bass 
End. They had boated two fish. 

‘^The net was out again last night,” Harry 
said bitterly. ^^See what happens?” 

“To-night’s their last night,” said Farrant. 
“Cheer up, Harry.” 

“I can’t cheer up,” Harry growled. “They 
don’t play the game fair.” 

“There won’t be much fair playing if they 
catch us,” Danny told them. 

They decided that they would not assemble, 
as was their wont, on the float after supper. 
Each boy was pledged to be in bed no later 
than nine o’clock. 

“Don’t anybody go taking any forty winks 
in the morning,” Danny Dugan cautioned. 
“When you open your eyes you hop out of 


135 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


bed. Everybody here by half-past four.” 

“We’ll he here,” said Davis. 

The day was a misty gray when Danny 
came out on the float next morning. Objects 
were hazy. He turned the noses of the boats 
upstream. While he was working Harry 
came through the grayness and began to help 
him. 

“Brrr!” Harry grunted. “It’s chilly.” 

“Itwill get warmer when the sun comes up,” 
Danny said. “Here come Bob and Farrant.” 

The day was growing brighter. Bob 
jumped into the Gray Whale, and Farrant and 
Danny went into the Little Giant, They had 
nothing to do now but wait for Perry and for 
Davis. 

Davis came first. He completed his crew, 
and the Little Giant cast off. Then they saw 
Perry coming on the run as though he was 
afraid that he was late. 

Both boats were off and away, the Little 
Giant slightly in the lead. 

136 


INTO TROUBLE 


“I have a glass here,”, Danny said. “Some- 
body will have to watch the Bend while we 
work. As soon as a boat is sighted rounding 
the Bend we’ll get away.” 

“But suppose we haven’t got the net in by 
that time?” Harry asked. 

“Then we’ll have to come for it another 
time,” Danny said. 

The sun flashed over the hills in the east, 
and at once the mists began to rise. The 
morning grew warmer. As the mists crept 
away distant objects became visible. An un- 
certain, wavering shaft of sunlight crept over 
the surface of the Creek. 

They rounded the Bend. It was now a 
straight run to Bass End. 

“Get hooks and sinkers ready,” Bob or- 
dered. “We’ll have to cast for that net.” 

They ran past Shelter Cove. There would 
be no flag-raising to-day. Bass End came into 
sight. 

Their hearts began to beat nervously. Here 


137 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


was the test They knew nothing about nets. 
Would they have time enough to get the net 
in before the Great Meadow lads appeared? 

^What time is it?” Danny asked. 

^Tifteen of five,” Farrant answered. “We 
left the float at twenty minutes past four.” 

Five minutes later they stopped their en- 
gines. They were at Bass End. Harry cast 
his line. And at once, as he pulled it in, it 
tightened. 

“I have it,” he called. “Try to catch yours 
near mine, Farrant.” 

Farrant, after two trials, succeeded. They 
began to haul in the net — slowly, at first, until 
a portion was in each boat. Then faster. 

But soon they saw that there was something 
wrong. They were both hauling at the same 
point, and the off end of the net was not mov- 
ing. 

“Here,” Harry called, “drop away, Far- 
rant. Fish for the other end. Let’s get both 
ends coming in.” 


138 


INTO TROUBLE 


The Little Giant was backed off. Farrant, 
with a new line, cast. As Harry had done, he 
too succeeded in hooking the net at the first 
trial. He hauled in, and found he had the 
other end. 

The net was only six feet deep, but it was 
awkward for the boys to handle. They made 
slow, sloppy, messy progress. Many bass were 
caught by the gills. They flopped about and 
struggled to escape, and they made it harder 
for the chums. 

Then, too, when they hauled in the end, the 
middle sagged down between the two boats 
and went back into the water. 

‘^You get your part in,” Harry yelled, ‘^and 
I’ll get mine. Then we’ll move toward each 
other and pick up what net lies in between.” 

That seemed logical. They worked harder. 
A part of the hauled in net slipped down from 
Farrant’s grasp. It struck a life preserver, 
took it from its fastenings, and dropped it 
into the Creek. 


139 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘^Hurry!” called Danny. ‘‘Five after five.” 

“Some one ought to watch the Bend,” said 
Bob. 

Perry volunteered. But he was doing good 
work and they kept him hauling where he 
was. Besides, the glass was in the Little 
Giant, and the Gray Whale did not want to 
stop work to get it. So Davis took the instru- 
ment and scanned the lower Creek. 

“I don’t see anything,” he said. 

“All right,” Danny cried. “Put that glass 
where you can put your hands on it in a 
moment. Pitch in here. We want to pick up 
that preserver after we have finished.” 

They hauled away. Finally they had the 
ends in. Then the boats began to come toward 
each other and haul up the middle. 

This proved to be even harder than the ends 
had been, for now they had to haul over the 
bow. They were cramped for room. 

“Fifteen after five,” Danny called. “Take 
a look with the glass, Davis.” 

140 


INTO TROUBLE 


Davis again reported the Creek clear. 

Slowly the middle came in. Finally only a 
foot or so of net was left, and that stretched 
across from one boat to the other out of water. 

‘‘Now,” Harry called, “give us what net 
you have, Farrant. We’ll stow the whole 
thing below deck in the Gray Whale/^ 

Inch by inch the net was dropped into the 
hold of Bob’s boat. Finally the last of it dis- 
appeared. The submarines looked as though 
somebody had played a hose over them. 

“Shake it up!” Danny ordered. “We want 
to get that life preserver. It’s drifting up- 
stream.” 

They swung the boats about and started. 
And at that moment Davis called : 

“Boat coming.” 

Perry jumped. “Where?” 

“Just below Shelter Cove.” 

“Swing around,” cried Bob. “We’ll have 
to let that preserver go. Start back for the 
float, Danny.” 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


The boats turned and headed down Creek. 
Davis still had the glass trained. 

‘Tt’s Duffy and Mason,” he said. Danny 
told him to put the glass away. 

‘We don’t want those fellows to see it,” he 
explained rapidly. “Get past them without 
exciting suspicion. Act as though everything 
is all right. I’ll wave to them and talk. You 
fellows keep quiet.” 

“You can bet I will,” said Perry. He 
pointed to the sloping sides of the boat. 
“Look at those fish scales.” 

Bob jumped up. “Come on. Lively. Get 
a bucket or two of water. Wash them off.” 

They had no buckets, but they had dippers, 
and in less than a minute the submarines were 
clean of evidences of fish. Then, with jump- 
ing pulses, they waited to pass the oncoming 
boat. 

The Great Meadow boat came abreast. 
Duffy whispered to Mason. They stared sus- 
piciously at the submarines. 


142 


INTO TROUBLE 


‘‘You fellows must have got up before 
breakfast,” Danny called cheerily. 

But neither of the Great Meadow lads re- 
turned the sally. Duffy’s eyes had narrowed. 

“Where have you kids been?” he asked. 

Danny waved his hands. “Upstream. Away 
up above Bass End. We camped out last 
night.” 

Duffy seemed to be relieved at that. But 
Mason’s stare continued to be suspicious. He 
said something. They stopped rowing, and 
looked over at the chugging submarines. 

“Steady!” Bob whispered. “Don’t show any 
fright. Call something to them, Danny.” 

“Danny called across. “We’ll be up later 
for bass. Wait for us.” 

The words seemed to reassure Mason. He 
put his oar into the water. Duffy did like- 
wise. The rowboat resumed its journey 
toward Bass End. Soon she began to dwindle 
in size. 

“Get out the glass,” said Danny. “Keep an 


143 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


eye on them, Davis. What are they doing?” 

^^Still rowing,” Davis reported. After a 
time he said : ^TheyVe stopped.” 

‘‘Now for the trouble,” Harry said tensely. 

“They’re leaning over the sides,” Davis 
said. “They’re — Gosh, but they’re excited. 
Now they’re rowing farther up.” 

“What for?” Harry asked. 

“They’ve stopped,” Davis reported. 
“They’re taking something out of the water. 
They’re — It’s the life preserver.” 

“And it has ‘Little Giant’ painted on it,” 
Perry called. 

“They’ll think we dropped it coming 
down,” Harry argued. “It means nothing to 
find a life preserver. We told them we were 
away up past Bass End, and they find the pre- 
server farther up than the End.” 

“But suppose it has fish scales on it,” Perry 
insisted. 

That put a new light on the matter, didn’t 
it? They turned to Davis. 

144 


INTO TROUBLE 


‘‘What are they doing now?” Harry asked. 
Davis dropped the glass. “They’re coming 
down the Greek like sixty,” he cried excitedly. 
“They’re after us.” 


CHAPTER X 


A DISASTROUS CHASE 

H arry, as engineer of the Gray 
Whale, jumped down into the hold 
and tried to force more speed. Far- 
rant tried to help the Little Giant go faster. 
After a few minutes they realized that the 
boats were making their best speed. So the 
chase became a question of how fast could 
Duffy and Mason row their boat. 

‘‘Keep the glass on them,” Danny ordered. 
Davis found the instrument and trained it. 
After a minute he said: 

“They’re gaining.” 

“Much?” Perry asked in a frightened voice. 
“They’re going much faster than we are,” 
said Davis., 


146 


A DISASTROUS CHASE 


Presently they could see every action of 
the rowboat without the use of the glass. The 
lads from Great Meadow were putting drive 
and power into their strokes. The foam curled 
back from the bow. Every movement of their 
bodies was suggestive of anger, and of 
strength, and of future punishment. Perry 
wished that he was safely back on Danny 
Dugan’s float, and well out of this fix. 

“They’re gaining every second,” he wailed. 

There was no doubt of that. The rowboat 
had long, graceful, rounded lines. She had 
been built for speed. And now the two rowers 
were getting that speed out of her. 

“Shift to the other side of the Creek,” Bob 
ordered. 

They shifted. A few minutes later they saw 
Mason glance over his shoulder. Next both 
rowers pulled sharply on one oar* The bow 
of the pursuing boat shifted and followed the 
new course the submarines had taken. 

“They’re surely after us,” gulped Perry. 


147 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Danny spoke quietly to Farrant. “Can’t 
you get a little more speed out of her?” 

“Wouldn’t I if I could?” Farrant de- 
manded. 

The submarines reached the Bend. They 
made the turn. They came down stream. 
Far below them was the Dugan float and 
safety — far, far below. Much could happen 
before they reached this haven. 

“What will they do?” Perry asked. 

“Try to come aboard,” Harry answered 
grimly. His lips thinned. “Let them try it?” 

“What will we do?” Perry whispered. 

“Fight,” Harry answered. 

“Oh, but I know a way,” Perry cried. “We 
won’t be submerging this boat, will we?” 

“We will not,” Bob answered. “They’d 
batter off our ventilators. Then where would 
we be?” 

“Then we won’t need the pump,” Perry 
cried. “Help me, Harry.” 

“Help you do what?” 

148 


A DISASTROUS CHASE 


“Help me unscrew this pump handle. 
We’ll drop the battle hatch. When one of 
them tries to get aboard, we’ll prod him over- 
board. They can both swim. We needn’t 
worry about them going overboard.” 

Harry reached for a screw-driver and a 
monkey wrench. 

In the days when the Gray Whale and the 
Little Giant had been at war, Mr. Hinkelstedt 
had built this battle hatch. It fitted inside the 
hatch opening, and was made of stout wood. 
It was in reality a grating. When it was 
dropped and hooked into place, no person 
could climb up the sloping roof of the boat 
and drop down into the hold. The battle 
hatch held him out. 

The rowboat was so near now that they 
could hear Duffy and Mason grunting at the 
oars. Perry called softly to Danny. Danny 
looked around. 

“We’re going to slow down,” he said. “You 
keep on going.” 


149 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘^Nix!” Danny answered. ‘We’ll stand to- 
gether.” 

“But this is a plot, Danny. We want them 
to try to board us. We’re going to drop the 
battle hatch and — ” 

“Oh!” said Danny. 

Harry reduced the speed a bit. The Little 
Giant drew ahead. Mason looked over his 
shoulder. 

“Come on,” they heard him cry. “One of 
them’s in trouble. Hit it up ‘Sling!’ ” 

“I’ll trouble them,” Duffy roared. 

The Gray Whale continued to fall behind. 
Perry, in pretended alarm, called to Danny to 
turn back and help them. But the Little 
Giant did not change her course. Duffy gave 
a high, cackling laugh. First he and Mason 
would settle with one of these interfering 
boats, and then they would settle with the 
other. 

Perry dropped the battle hatch and slid the 
bolt that held it into place. Now that the 
150 


A DISASTROUS CHASE 


moment of conflict had come, he was fright- 
ened. Suppose something went wrong? Sup- 
pose a big, husky chap like Duffy took hold 
of the trap and ripped it off? 

Bob, peering through the lookout, saw the 
rowboat come up with them. 

“They’re alongside,” he whispered. 

They heard the boat scrape against the side. 
Then came clumsy sounds that told them that 
somebody was trying to clamber up the wet^ 
sloping deck. 

“Get ready 1” called Harry. 

Perry had the long, slender pump handle. 
He saw a hand reach out and clutch one of 
the wooden bars of the grating. Then came 
another hand, and after that Duffy’s face. 

“I’ll rip that off,” Duffy said, “and I’ll — ” 

“Give it to him,” Harry cried. 

Perry poked out the pump handle. The 
end of it struck Duffy in the chest. He had 
seen it coming and had tried to draw back. 
But he could not evade the thrust. They saw 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


his hands clutch and grasp the weapon. Then 
his fingers slipped and gave. They heard a 
cry from Mason, and the sound of something 
falling along the side. Then a splash. 

“Speed her up,” Bob ordered excitedly. 

Harry sent the propeller going at its best. 
They threw back the hatch and looked out. 
The Little Giant had halted. Farrant waved 
his hat and cheered. 

Duffy was in the water and swimming 
toward the rowboat. They knew that it would 
take him several minutes to climb over the 
stern, and it would be still another minute 
before he could take up an oar and resume 
the chase. In those few minutes the boys in 
the submarines hoped to gain considerably on 
the pursuing net fishermen. 

Down Creek went the Little Giant and the 
Gray Whale. Their last ounce of power was 
going into their motors. They could not have 
gone faster had their lives depended on their 
speed. 


152 


A DISASTROUS CHASE 


‘‘Well done,” Farrant yelled. “There goes 
Duffy into the boat. Look at him shaking 
himself like a wet dog. Now he has an oar. 
Say, they mean business this time, don’t they?” 

There was a hot, mad, grimness to the way 
Duffy and Mason worked the oars. The 
chums hoped that this time the submarines 
would hold their own. But the rowboat 
gained faster than during the first leg of the 
race. 

“We can’t work the battle hatch again,” 
Perry cried. “Oh, what shall we do?” 

“Why can’t you push him off again?” 
Danny Dugan demanded. 

“Because he won’t come close enough. 
They’ll run alongside, and then Duffy’ll stand 
up and batter the hatch with an oar.” 

Here was a new danger. They tried to 
think out a plan as their boats plugged along. 
But no plan seemed to come to them. 

The rowboat was pretty close now. Perry 
dropped the battle hatch. He did not think 

153 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


it would prove much of a protection, but it 
would stand ofif the enemy for a time, an5rway. 

The rowboat ran alongside again. And 
after a moment those in the Gray Whale heard 
something smash against the battle hatch. 

‘‘Look out,” cried Perry. “He’ll smash it 
in on us.” 

“And after that I’ll smash you,” Duffy 
roared. 

But he didn’t deliver the second blow at the 
trap. They all heard Danny Dugan’s voice: 

“Quit it, Duffy, or I’ll run you down.” 

Perry caught his breath and waited, but no 
more blows fell. Harry cried excitedly that 
the rowboat was drifting astern. They threw 
up the battle hatch and looked out. 

Then they saw what had happened. Danny 
had circled the Little Giant about and had 
steered straight for the fishing boat. And in 
panic, less they be sunk, Duffy and Mason had 
backed off. 

“That’s the way to beat them,” Danny 


154 


A DISASTROUS CHASE 


called. ‘‘You go down the Creek a ways, and 
I’ll guard. Then turn around, and I’ll go 
down and you guard. Run right into them if 
they try any monkey shines.” 

So the Gray Whale went down the Creek. 
The Little Giant was left alone. The row- 
boat maneuvered as though it would attack. 
But a hail came from Bob, and Danny swung 
the boat about and sailed down the stream. 

Instantly the rowboat was away in pursuit. 
It had almost come up with the Little Giant 
when the Gray Whale showed her nose. And 
this time it was Harry who cried for them to 
make way or be run down. 

It took Duffy but an instant to see the plan 
of battle that these boys had. He was beaten. 
But he snarled and growled and would not 
give up. He kept following them and threat- 
ening them. The result was that their journey 
down the Creek was slow and cautious. They 
would take no chances. 

And they thanked their stars that Danny 


155 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Ougan had thought to use their boats as rams. 
Otherwise, by this time the battle hatch of the 
Gray Whale would have been smashed, and 
they would have been at the mercy of the 
bigger boys. 

They passed the cinder path on the Creek 
road where, in the old days. Bob and Harry 
and Perry had moored their flat-bottoms. 
They passed Mr. Hinkelstedt’s place. They 
went through the boatways of the railroad 
bridge. And thus, in time, they came to 
Danny Dugan’s float. 

Now, at the last moment, the rowboat made 
a vicious attack. There was not room for 
either of the submarines to swing about and 
charge. So Duffy and Mason swept forward 
in the hopes that they would be able to run 
alongside and board one of the boats. 

But unexpected resistance met them. Far- 
rant dove into the hold of the Little Giant, 
and came up with two fly rods. Davis took 
one, and he took another. Seeing these 
156 


A DISASTROUS CHASE 

weapons of defense, Harry brought forth his 
own rod. 

Duffy and Mason stopped their advance 
with abruptness. They had no desire to 
have those light rods rapped smartly across 
their faces. They backed water. Slowly 
they made their way toward the mouth of the 
Creek. 

Danny and his crew were now safely out of 
the Little Giant, But instead of making the 
submarine fast to the float Danny held the 
rope in his hands. 

‘‘Y — y — ^yah!” he yelled. “Go back to 
Great Meadow and stay there.” 

At that Duffy stood up in the boat. He was 
known as “Sling” because of his readiness to 
throw stones. Now, as he drew back his arm. 
Bob called a warning. 

“Look out, fellows. Duck!” 

It was not a stone that Duffy threw. It 
was an oblong, two-ounce fishing sinker. It 
came through the air in a graceful curve. 

157 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


They saw that it would fall short of them. 
Danny stood up anxiously. 

“It’s going to hit the Little Giant/' he said. 

Now, in the Gray Whale, the lookout glass, 
when the boat was not submerged, was out of 
water. But the Little Giant, even when on 
the surface, had part of its lookout under the 
surface. 

The sinker struck the Little Giant. They 
heard the crash of glass. Bob sprang up. 

“She’s flooding,” he yelled. “Hold that 
rope, Danny. They’ve broken the lookout 
glass.” 

But the rope had slipped from Danny’s 
hands. The Little Giant rolled sluggishly. 
Danny clutched for the rope. It drifted away 
from the float. 

Without hesitation Farrant jumped over- 
board. He caught the rope and swam with 
it to the float. They took it as he reached it 
up to them. 

But now the Little Giant was low in the 


A DISASTROUS CHASE 


water, and had drifted out toward the cur- 
rent. There was not rope enough left to wind 
about the short, stocky posts that dotted the 
edge of the float 

‘Tf we can only hold this,” Harry said 
hopefully, “we’re all right Why didn’t you 
protect your lookouts with wire, Danny?” 

Danny’s voice was almost a sob. “Why 
didn’t I? Did I know anything like this was 
going to happen?” 

The submarine settled lower. Their arms 
felt the strain of the rope. Perry, who was on 
the end nearest the float edge, suddenly cried 
out that he was being pulled into the water. 

“It’s no use,” Danny groaned. “Good-bye 
Little Giant Why didn’t I cover those look- 
outs?” 

Perry swayed on the float edge. Bob 
pushed him back. That meant that one less 
pair of hands was on the rope. A moment 
later Bob felt the pull dragging him forward. 
He dropped the rope. 


159 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


“No use/’ he said quietly. “Let go.” 

Standing on the float they watched the sub- 
marine settle in the water. Lower and lower 
she went. The water began to creep up to the 
top of her ventilators. Finally these, too, 
went under. The water poured down them 
into her tank. And with both hold and tank 
full of water she plunged suddenly and dis- 
appeared into the Creek bottom. 

The Little Giant was gone. 


CHAPTER XI 


MR. HINKELSTEDT EXPLAINS 

D uffy and Mason had heard the 
crash of the glass. They realized, 
almost as quickly as did Bob, that the 
Little Giant was sinking. With popping eyes 
they stared back at what that thrown sinker 
had done. As soon as they saw the ventila- 
tors go under they dug their oars into the 
water and raced away from the scene of the 
sinking. 

They showed plainly that they were fright- 
ened. But of that fact none of the fellows on 
the float took notice. The Little Giant was 
on the Creek bottom, and nothing else mat- 
tered. Danny Dugan shook his fists after the 
fleeing rowboat. 

i6i 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘‘Duffy’s bigger than me,” he said, “but I’d 
just like to have him here for a few minutes.” 

They stared dully at the water. Their fleet 
was ruined. Gone were their glorious days 
at Shelter Cove. They were six chums, and 
they had but one boat left — and six in the boat 
would be too many. Likewise the money they 
had hoped to earn would not come to them. 
The Submarine Excursion Company had lost 
half its assets. 

Perry, all at once, pulled at Danny’s sleeve. 
“Look here,” he said timidly. “Before Mr. 
Mansfield, who invented the Gray Whale, 
gave the boat to us, she sank up at Shelter 
Cove. He got her to the surface again. Why 
can’t we get up the Little Giant, 

Harry gave a shout and waved his arms. 
“That’s right, Danny. The Gray Whale sunk 
and Mr. Mansfield got her to the surface 
again. Why can’t we do that?” 

Danny took interest. “How was it done?” 
he asked eagerly. 

162 


MR. HINKELSTEDT EXPLAINS 


“I wasn’t there,” Harry answered. “I 
didn’t see it. But Mr. Hinkelstedt would 
know how to get her up, wouldn’t he?” 

Danny gave a quick grin. “You just bet he 
would. I hadn’t thought of that. It isn’t as 
though she had a hole stowed in her side, is 
it? She’s all right — just full of water.” 

They all became suddenly cheerful. Far- 
rant stared down at the water as though he 
might see where the boat lay. After a mo- 
ment he looked across at Danny. 

“Won’t the tide shift her?” he asked. 

Without a word Danny ran up the float and 
disappeared into the house. Soon he came 
forth with a coil of heavy rope. 

“Tie it up,” he said. 

Harry blinked. “Tie what up?” 

“The Little Giant, We’ll make fast the 
rope to her propeller, and lash the other end 
to the float. Then we’ll know where to find 
her when we want her.” 

There was plenty of current at this point on 
163 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Little Giant Creek. Only a short distance be- 
low the Creek joined the rugged Big Giant 
River. 

‘‘I’ll go over and fix it,” Harry offered. 

“I’ll fix it,” said Danny. “This is going to 
be a tough job. I’m bigger and stronger than 
you, Harry.” 

Danny peeled off his clothes and dropped 
overboard. Thirty seconds later he was on 
the surface. 

“Give me lots of rope,” he ordered. “She’s 
down pretty deep.” 

“Can you manage?” Bob asked. 

Danny nodded grimly, “I’d do a tougher 
job than this to save the Little Giant,’^^ 

He disappeared again. After a while he 
came to the surface for air. Alternately going 
down and coming up, he completed his labors. 
He climbed aboard the float. Bob, seeing that 
his muscles trembled, gave him a hand. 

“Tie that other end to the float,” Danny 
ordered. 


164 


MR. HINKELSTEDT EXPLAINS 


Perry, who had gone back to the Gra^, 
Whale, tossed Danny a towel. He dried him- 
self and dressed. Then he stretched off on the 
float. Harry looked at him keenly. 

‘Tired?” 

“I^m all in,” Danny answered. “It’s no 
joke holding your breath and working in six- 
teen feet of water.” 

“But the Little Giant is safe, isn’t she?” 

“She won’t move until the rope rots,” was 
the answer. 

Clara Dugan, Danny’s sister, came out on 
the float. Once the Gray Whale had saved 
her from drowning when her canoe had been 
upset in the Big Giant and she was being 
swept out to sea. It was this rescue that had 
cemented a friendship between Danny and the 
crew of the Gray Whale, 

“Breakfast is ready,” said Clara. “How 
did you pirates make out?” 

“We got it,” said Danny. “But — but they 
sunk the Little Giants 
165 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


Clara gave a gasp of dismay. 

‘‘Oh, we can bring it up again,” Danny 
hastened to say. “Come on, fellows ; I’m hun- 
gry.” 

As the chums followed him they thought 
it was just like Danny to remember that they 
would be hungry and to make preparations 
for something to eat. And it was just like 
Clara Dugan, they thought, to tumble out of 
bed at an early hour and cook something for 
them. 

None of the fellows had said a word, either 
in the village or at home, about the net at 
Bass End. But they did not find fault with 
Danny for having told Clara. Privately they 
all thought that Clara was a fine sort of sister 
for a brother to have. You could tell her 
your troubles, and she’d sympathize with you, 
and she wouldn’t blab what you told her to 
the whole village, and — and — and she’d get 
out of bed early in the morning to cook a 
gang of fellows something to eat. All things 

i66 


MR. HINKELSTEDT EXPLAINS 


considered, Harry thought, it was too bad 
that Clara was not Danny’s brother instead of 
his sister. She would have made one fine pal. 

The girl gave them bacon and eggs, and 
rolls and coffee. They ate as though they 
would never get enough. 

“Where did they sink her?” Clara asked. 

“Out at the float,” Harry answered. 

“Danny went down and tied a rope to her,” 
Bob added. “She can’t float away. She’s 
safe.” 

“Of course she’s safe,” Clara said with a 
smile, “if you boys have fixed her.” She was 
the sort of girl to give a fellow confidence. 

When they had hauled in the net, bass had 
been dumped into both boats. Those in the 
Little Giant had escaped, of course, but there 
were fish in the Gray Whale, After break- 
fast they counted them and found twenty-two. 

They voted to leave a dozen bass with 
Clara. Perry wanted to know what they 
would do with the other ten. 

167 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


“Let’s go to Shelter Cove and cook them,” 
Harry suggested. 

“Have you forgotten,” Bob asked, “that 
Duffy and Mason may come back at any mo- 
ment?” 

Yes, they had forgotten that. 

“Look here,” Farrant cried, “we won’t be 
able to move if those fellows are going to start 
hounding us.” 

“That’s what I’m thinking,” said Bob. 

Here was a pretty pickle to be in. They 
could not go fishing, they could not go crab- 
bing, they could not go to Shelter Cove. 
They could not even take out people at the 
picnics that would come to Mr. Seeley’s Creek 
Park. They could not have been any worse 
off had the two boats been at the bottom of 
the Creek. 

“Well,” Harry said, “we have the net, any- 
how.” 

“I wish we had let their blamed old net 
alone,” Perry blurted. “All we can do now 

i68 


MR. HINKELSTEDT EXPLAINS 


is to come to the float and make faces at each 
other. And if those fellows find out about 
Shelter Cove they’ll go up there and wreck 
our shack. See if they don’t.” 

It surely seemed as though calamities were 
piling up for the chums. Harry told Danny 
to take in all the bass to Clara, and Danny 
obeyed without a word of protest. It was an 
admission of defeat, and when Danny Dugan 
was ready to cry quits the situation was des- 
perate indeed. 

‘^Let’s go over to Mr. Hinkelstedt’s, any- 
way,” Farrant suggested. 

They left the Gray Whale tied up to the 
float. Using a flat-bottom they rowed across 
the Creek. But first Davis took the glass and 
made sure that Duffy and Mason were not in 
sight. 

It did not occur to any of the boys that 
the invaders from Great Meadow could be 
held responsible for the sinking of the Little 
Giant. As they saw the matter, they had 
169 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


taken a net, and Duffy and Mason had re- 
taliated by sinking their boat. Clara had 
called them pirates. Well, perhaps, that’s all 
they were. They had taken something thiit 
did not belong to them. 

That phase of the matter had them all wor- 
ried now. Suppose what they had done was a 
plain case of stealing? 

They were halfway to Mr. Hinkelstedt’s, 
but Harry told Farrant and Davis, who had 
the oars, to stop rowing. 

‘‘Suppose we go back and get the net,” he 
said uneasily. “Let’s take it to Mr. Hinkel- 
stedt. He can advise us.” 

They rowed back to the Gray Whale. Tak- 
ing out the net proved to be a sloppy job. At 
last, with the net in the flat-bottom, they 
started to row back across the Creek once 
more. 

The old builder was in his shop. They 
went in and stood around uneasily. Mr. Hin- 
kelstedt stared at them a moment, took off his 
170 


MR. HINKELSTEDT EXPLAINS 


spectacles and shook an accusing finger in 
their faces. 

“What tricks have you been making?” he 
demanded. 

“The Little Giant has been sunk,” Bob an- 
swered. “Can she be raised?” 

“Is there a hole stove in, or what?” 

“Only the lookout glass broke,” Danny said. 
“She ” 

“Of course she did,” the old man stormed. 
“It was too much troubles to put wire over the 
glass, wasn’t it? Is that all that is wrong with 
her, just waters in her?” 

“That’s all,” said Harry. 

“Then we can bring her up. Wait until 
low tide. Then she will only be in nine feet 
of water. Her ventilators will be out. We 
can pump some waters from her. Then we 
put a rope around her, and put the rope 
around a drum, and up she comes.” 

“How — how much will it cost?” Perry 
asked cautiously. He was the treasurer, and 
171 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


he wanted to do this thing in a business-like 
way. 

“Ach, five dollars,” said Mr. Hinkelstedt. 
‘^Maybe some more, maybe not so much.” He 
looked at Danny suspiciously. “How did the 
Little Giant get into troubles?” 

“I’ll show you,” said Harry. He went out 
with Bob and Perry, and came back dragging 
the net with their assistance. At sight of the 
net Mr. Hinkelstedt raised his hands in hor- 
ror. 

“Where did you get that? You cannot use 
that nets for fishes in the Creek.” 

“Why not?” Harry demanded. “Duffy and 
Mason used it.” 

“Duffy and Mason? Who are this Duffy 
and Mason?” 

“Two big boys from Great Meadow. They 
were netting bass away up the Creek. That’s 
how the Little Giant was sunk. We went up 
and took their net.” 

“Ach!” cried the old man. “Why did you 


172 


MR. HINKELSTEDT EXPLAINS 


not tell me about that nets? Did you not 
know that it was against the laws to use nets in 
the Creek?” 

‘^But nets have been used — ” Harry began. 

“That was before the basses were put into 
the Creek,” cried Mr. Hinkelstedt excitedly. 
“Now it is against the laws to use a nets. 
Tell me all about this Duffy and Mason.” 

So they told him the whole story, starting 
with their discovery of Bass End as a fishing 
place, the appearance of Duffy and Mason on 
the Creek, the disappearance of the fish, and 
their discovery of the net. They told how 
they had shifted the net, how the lads from 
Great Meadow had ceased to come for a 
while. 

“They were frightened,” said Mr. Hinkel- 
sledt. “They thought the game wardens was 
after them.” 

Bob related how they had returned to the 
Creek, and of how the submarines had that 
morning started out to take the net. They 

173 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


ended with a description of the pursuit and 
the disaster to the Little Giant, 

“Foolish, foolish!” the old man fumed. 
“You should have taken their nets long ago. 
They were breaking the laws.” 

Harry’s eyes became thoughtful. “Let me 
ask you a question, Mr. Hinkelstedt. They 
were breaking the law. Then they can’t make 
trouble for us, can they?” 

“What do you mean, make troubles?” 

“I mean for taking their net. They can’t 
get after us for that, can they?” 

Mr. Hinkelstedt made it plain that Duffy 
and Mason could cause no trouble, and that if 
the boys reported the matter to the game 
warden the fishermen from Great Meadow 
would be arrested. 

“Oh, I don’t want them arrested,” cried 
Danny. “They’ve been brought up pretty 
rough. I guess they haven’t had much chance 
to be all right — they haven’t had homes like 
we’ve had.” 


174 


MR. HINKELSTEDT EXPLAINS 


Harry’s eyes snapped. ‘^But we could make 
them toe the mark, couldn’t we?” 

^^How?” asked Danny. 

“Make them promise to let us alone.” 

“How could we make them promise that?” 

“Well, suppose we told them that if they 
didn’t let us alone we’d tell about the net 
and ” 

Danny gave a yell and ran out of the shop. 
A moment later he poked his head back 
through the doorway. 

“Come on,” he cried. “What are you fel- 
lows waiting for? Let’s get over to Great 
Meadow and dictate terms to Duffy and Ma- 
son.” 


CHAPTER XII 


THE SURRENDER 

T hey crowded out after Danny, and 
tumbled into the flat-bottom. Mr.i 
Hinkelstedt followed them to the 
float edge and waved his arms. 

‘‘Do not let them make you frightened,” 
he roared. “You have the law on your sides.” 

“Oh, we’ll talk to them,” Danny called. 
“I’ll soak it to them for sinking the Little 
Giant/^ 

“Make it a hard soak,” yelled Mr. Hinkel- 
stedt. 

The flat-bottom went across the Creek at a 
fast clip. Soon they were tied up at the Du- 
gan float. They scampered out to the Creek 
road. A trolley car approached. They 
176 


THE SURRENDER 

stopped it, climbed aboard, and were oif for 
Great Meadow. 

The Submarine Excursion Company was 
vitally concerned with respect to the result of 
this trip. So Perry, as treasurer, paid the 
fares. 

They could see much now that had not been 
plain to them before. They could understand 
why Duffy and Mason had set their net by 
night, and had taken it up in the morning be- 
fore honest fishermen were astir. And they 
understood the sudden departure of the law- 
breakers from the Creek when they found that 
their net had been monkeyed with. 

‘^But if they were so much afraid,” Perry 
asked, “why did they chase after us when they 
found we had their net.” 

“To get the net,” Harry answered prompt- 
ly. “IVe thought the whole thing out. If 
they could get the net back, they could deny 
anything we might say.. But if we had the 
net, and could show how many fish they were 


177 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


selling each day at Great Meadow, that would 
about finish them.” 

Bob nodded. “That sounds reasonable,” 
he said. 

“Of course it’s reasonable,” Harry stated. 
“If it wasn’t for me, where would this crowd 
be? We’ll get some real fishing now. You 
can thank me for taking that net and getting 
things going. If we hadn’t taken the net we 
wouldn’t know that it is against the law.” 

“And the Little Giant wouldn’t be sunk,” 
Danny added. 

“That’s your fault,” Harry cried indignant- 
ly, “for not protecting your lookouts.” 

“I’ll protect them as soon as we get her 
up,” Danny vowed. 

They had no idea just what they would say 
to Duffy and Mason. At heart, even though 
they had the law on their side, they were all 
a trifle uneasy. 

When the car reached Great Meadow they 
stepped off and looked at Danny. 

178 


THE SURRENDER 

“Well,” Harry asked, “what do we do 
now?” 

Danny scratched the tip of one ear. “Let’s 
— let’s go to that butcher shop and ask where 
we can find either of those fellows.” 

They did not know the way, so they fol- 
lowed Danny. He led them directly to the 
shop. But as he started through the doorway 
he suddenly drew back and stepped on 
Harry’s toes. 

“They’re in there now,” he gulped. 

Farrant took a deep breath. “I’m not afraid 
of them,” he said. He walked into the shop. 
“I want to talk to you fellows,” he announced 
bravely. 

His courage was all assumed. But in 
another moment it was real. For at sight of 
him Duffy and Mason seemed to shrink. 
“They’re not afraid of me,” Farrant thought; 
“they’re afraid because I know they have done 
wrong.” 

“.What — what do you want?” Mason asked. 


179 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


‘^Come outside,” said Farrant. 

The butcher, with an air of astonishment, 
watched the three boys leave his shop. Out- 
side Farrant joined his chums. Danny looked 
curiously at Duffy, and Duffy’s face seemed to 
whiten. He was wondering, no doubt, what 
Danny was going to do about the sinking of 
the submarine. 

The butcher had come to the doorway. 
Farrant led the party out of earshot. 

‘We have not told about that net,” he said. 

“Haven’t told anybody?” Duffy asked 
eagerly. 

“Oh, we’ve told some people,” said Farrant, 
“but they’ll keep their mouths shut as long as 
we want them to. We haven’t told any game 
wardens.” 

“Are — are you going to?” Mason asked 
through dry lips. He was thoroughly 
frightened. 

“That depends,” Farrant answered calmly. 

“On what?” 

i8o 


THE SURRENDER 


“On just what you intend to do about the 
Little Giant/* 

“I didn’t mean to sink her,” Duffy pieaded. 
“I threw that sinker to scare you fellows. I 
didn’t mean ” 

“Well,” Farrant broke in, “suppose you get 
her up for us.” 

“How?” 

“By paying what it will cost.” 

“How much will that be?” 

“Five dollars.” 

Duffy hesitated a moment, then looked at 
Mason. Mason nodded. 

“Pay them,” he said. It was plain that he 
was glad to be out of the scrape for so little 
as five dollars. 

“And you fellows must promise to keep out 
of the Creek,” Farrant continued. 

“We’ll keep out,” Duffy promised. 

Farrant looked at his friends. “I guess 
that’s all, isn’t it?” They nodded. Duffy and 
Mason withdrew, consulted, and came back at 

i8i 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


length with three one-dollar bills, and two 
dollars in silver. 

‘^Give it to Perry,” said Farrant. “He’s 
treasurer.” 

Perry took the money. 

“When do we get the net back?” Duffy 
asked. 

Here was a question too deep for Farrant. 
He nodded to Bob. This time Bob and Danny 
backed away for a conference. When they 
came back Bob acted as spokesman. 

“You don’t get the net,” he announced. 

At that there was a growl from Duffy and 
Mason. They felt they were getting out of the 
woods in good fashion, and that they could af- 
ford to show their teeth. 

“We get the net,” Duffy announced, “or 
there’ll be trouble.” 

“Then it’s trouble,” said Farrant at once. 
He seemed filled with a warlike spirit. “Give 
them their money, Perry. We’ll send a notice 
to the game warden.” 


182 


THE SURRENDER 


Duffy wilted. He said that it wasn’t fair to 
keep the net, and that he needed it for other 
fishing he might do. 

^^Nix!” said Farrant. you have that 
net you may be tempted to drop it into Little 
Giant Creek. Well, what are you going to 
do?” 

^^Oh, I was only fooling about trouble,” 
Duffy said humbly. ‘We’ll call things square 
just as they stand. Is that all right?” 

Farrant said it was. Duffy and Mason 
shambled back toward the butcher shop. The 
chums raced away to get the next trolley for 
home. Farrant had talked big and all that, 
but just the same they wanted to see the last 
of Great Meadow. 

The ride back was a merry journey. When 
they reached the Dugan float they marched 
across to the water with a triumphant military 
air. Clara Dugan reported that Mr. Hinkel- 
stedt had been over and had told her that he 
would start work on the Little Giant next day. 

183 


GRAY WHALE— FLAGSHIP 


The tide was low, and they could see the ven- 
tilators of the submarine sticking out of the 
water. 

“Well,” said Danny, “all I can say is that 
she went down in a good cause. We have 
cleared the Creek of an enemy. And — 
and ” 

“And what?” demanded Harry. 

“And the fishing’s going to be mighty good 
at Bass End. Let’s go up to Shelter Cove and 
have a crab feast.” 

Before they left the float Bob hauled down 
the flagship pennant from the Gray Whale. 
He handed it to Danny. 

“What’s that for?” Danny asked. 

“The Little Giant is the flagship now,” 
said Bob. “I’ve talked this over with Harry 
and Perry. We think you deserve the 
honor.” 

Danny’s cheeks flushed with pleasure. He 
folded the flag carefully and placed it in his 
pocket. And he promised them that when 
184 


THE SURRENDER 


the Little Giant was raised he’d run up the 
pennant first thing, and they’d all go off and 
have finer adventures than any that had yet 
come to them. 


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